Data Entry and Quality

4.5.2.1 Available Data

The only data that were available for this study were from the ‘HVCRA’, ‘Record of Child Patient Contact’, ‘DHSW (Childsmile Practice)’ and the ‘GP17’ forms. At the time of this study, data from the other aforementioned forms had not yet been entered by the Childsmile Central Evaluation Research Team (CERT) which was responsible for the data entry of all Childsmile forms except the ‘GP17’ forms. The ‘GP17’ forms were entered by Practitioner Services Division (PSD) which is a

division of National Services Scotland (NSS).

4.5.2.2 Data Entry

The forms that were collected by CERT were entered onto Microsoft Access

Databases with each type of form having a separate database. Each individual form generated a new record; if there were more than one of a specific type of form for a patient, each subsequent form resulted in an additional record being produced

for the patient. These databases were available for extraction as a Microsoft Excel spread-sheet with each row representing one record.

The ‘GP17’ forms were scanned by PSD into the Management Information and Dental Accounting System and those records that contained Childsmile claims were extracted into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Each individual claim was on a separate row. Therefore, if there were two or more Childsmile claims on an

individual form that would result in two or more rows of data for a child dependant on the number of claims made for that appointment.

4.5.2.3 Data Quality

The data that were received by CERT for data entry were first checked for any missing or incorrect data. The persons responsible for completing the forms (HV, DHSW or dental practice staff) were contacted if there were any data errors and the corrected data were then entered onto the database.

Data entered by CERT was subjected to a 10% random check to ensure data entry accuracy. Around 1% of forms were found to have an inaccuracy when entered onto the database although in most cases, this was accounted for by spelling mistakes of the patients name and address which has no bearing on this study.

4.5.2.4 CHI Number

The Community Health Index number (CHI) is a unique ten-digit identification number assigned to each NHS patient in Scotland. The first six digits are generated by the child’s date of birth with four additional numbers added. The ninth digit indicates the sex of the patient [NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 2011].

All forms except the GP17 were to have the CHI number entered at the time of completion. If the CHI was missing or incorrect, CERT would use a CHI lookup database provided by NHS Scotland to ascertain the correct CHI number. The ‘GP17’ forms that were scanned by PSD were assigned a CHI number by the

Information Services Division (ISD) of NSS who linked each record, using the child’s name, date of birth and postcode, with the CHI lookup database.

The CHI number was used to link the various forms used in this study so that as accurate as possible record of each patient’s Childsmile Practice history could be analysed.

Of the data available, 2% of ‘Records Child/Parent Contact’ forms, 1% of ‘HVCRA’ forms, less than 1% of ‘DHSW (Childsmile Practice)’ forms, and 5% of ‘GP17’ claims could not be assigned a CHI number. As the CHI number was necessary to link the data in the study, all records without a CHI number were excluded from the study. Therefore the full Childsmile Practice record may not have been accurate for every child. This also meant that there was a small possibility that a child classed as not being retained may actually have been retained. However due to the large number of patients involved in the study, this will not have made a significant impact.

4.5.2.5 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation

A look-up file provided by ISD allowed each patient and dental practice with a valid postcode to be matched to their corresponding SIMD quintile score. As well as assigning a SIMD score, the lookup file allowed the health board, Community Care Partnership (CHP), data-zone and urban/rural classification of both the patient and dental practice location to be determined.

The SIMD score is an area level deprivation scored calculated using seven indicators of deprivation [ISD Scotland, 2010a]. These are: the number of persons living within an area receiving financial support from the government; the number of persons that are currently unemployed or unable to work; if an area had lower than expected health levels or death rates; the range of educational qualifications in the area; the cost, time and difficulty of accessing standard services such as public transport; the level of crime reported in an area; and the quality of housing. [Scottish Government, 2009].

All of the dental practice postcodes and 96% of the patient postcodes were valid and were therefore assigned a SIMD score.

4.5.2.6 Childsmile Dental Practice Payments

Dental practices are paid for participating in Childsmile. From the inception of Childsmile in 2006 until it joined the Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR) (the standard method of NHS dental payments in Scotland) in October 2011, payments

to dental practices for Childsmile Practice activity were calculated and paid separately from any claims made via the SDR. Prior to joining the SDR, Childsmile had two separate payment systems (Appendix 1).There are two notable changes to the Childsmile payment system; In the first payment system (July 2006 until December 2008), dental practices were paid a higher fee for enrolling older children in Childsmile. This payment changed in the second system introduced in January 2009. Practices were paid the same fee for each child regardless of their age. However under the new system, dental practices were paid an additional fee if the child lived in one of the three most deprived SIMD quintiles. The second notable change was that during the first system, dental practices would continue to receive an enrolment fee after a child had attended their first Childsmile Practice appointment regardless of whether or not the child returned for a subsequent appointment. From 2009 onwards, a child must attend a Childsmile Practice appointment at least once every 12 months for the dental practice to continue receiving an enrolment fee. As well as being paid for fluoride varnish applications (FVAs), a maximum of two per year per child, dental practices were also paid a fee in their first year of delivering Childsmile although this was dependant on their level of Childsmile activity.