Oral health curriculum evaluation tool (OHCET) for primary care training programs

Abstract

Background: Primary care training schools and programs lack a validated tool to assess their oral health curriculum, and researchers lack a tool to compare oral health curricula across programs/schools and different disciplines. Objective: This study describes the process and results of creating a 15-item oral health curriculum evaluation tool (OHCET). Methods: Three-phased development of the OHCET from 2018 to 2020 including (a) Delphi group/tool development; (b) tool pilot test; and (c) tool validation/cognitive interviews. Results: A total of 23 program deans/directors participated in the tool validation/cognitive interviews. Summarizing accuracy scores of all 15 items, the mean accuracy score was 87.1. There was a high correlation (0.917) between the program's total score and the program director's self-assessed competence of their learners at the time of graduation. Conclusions: The OHCET was validated and can be used in primary care training programs and schools across the country for institutional evaluation and for research purposes. Program directors and deans can also have some confidence that their ability to subjectively assess their learner's oral health knowledge and skills at graduation is accurate.