key: cord-0799047-6iwnhuat
authors: Thomas, Nicole
title: Should photographic triage become common practice?
date: 2021-06-25
journal: Evid Based Dent
DOI: 10.1038/s41432-021-0170-6
sha: c80681d7f551304200eb8cfa8dcaa54857d3dc97
doc_id: 799047
cord_uid: 6iwnhuat

Design Cross-sectional, exploratory study collecting photographic referral data over three months. Sample selection Paediatric referrals to the orthodontic and maxillofacial department at Alder Hey Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data analysis Photographic referrals were analysed using Microsoft Excel to determine treatment outcomes, including 'not to see', 'plan to see' and 'need to see'. Demographic information collected and analysed were patient age, gender, referral source and presenting complaint. Results In total, 220 photographic referrals were received, with swelling (30%) and dental trauma (27%) being the most common presenting complaints. Fifty-seven percent of the referrals were not seen, 23% were seen semi-urgently and 20% booked for outpatient review. Of those seen, seven children were examined elsewhere, with 44 receiving face-to-face consultations at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, with eight being admitted. Conclusions Photographic triage has potential to be a useful adjunctive assessment tool for new patient referrals, with secondary benefits for training junior staff and for populations who already find access to dental services challenging. Feasibility studies on the application should be seriously considered. However, the unique circumstances which resulted in the development of a photographic triage method need to be considered when generalising its use to normal working conditions.

it highlights both useful applications of a photographic triage method where access to services may be severely limited as well as how a photographic triage system could improve referral systems generally. Secondary benefits to staff training were also found. The study also highlights the distinct paucity of research in this area.

Further research is warranted to enhance systems that may now be outdated. 2 However, care should be taken when comparing the highly unusual circumstances which led to the development of this photographic triage method to general working conditions. For example, parent carers would not ordinarily be involved in the direct referral of their children to services. There was also a noticeable increase in dental trauma noted by the hospital, leading to lockdown and children playing in different environments to school being hypothesised as the cause.

Author affiliation 1 Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.

Preparedness for Primary Dental Care