Evaluating childsmile, Scotland's National Oral Health Improvement Programme for children

Abstract

In the early 2000s, a Scottish Government Oral Health Action Plan identified the need for a national programme to improve child oral health and reduce inequalities. ‘Childsmile’ aimed to improve child oral health in Scotland, reduce inequalities in outcomes and access to dental services, and to shift the balance of care from treatment to prevention through targeted and universal components in dental practice, community and educational settings. This paper describes how an embedded, theory‐based research and evaluation arm with multi‐disciplinary input helps determine priorities and provides important strategic direction. Programme theory is articulated in dedicated, dynamic logic models, and evaluation themes are as follows: population‐level data linkage; trials and economic evaluations; investigations drawing from behavioural and implementation science; evidence reviews and updates; and applications of systems science. There is also a growing knowledge sharing network internationally. Collaborative working from all stakeholders is necessary to maintain gains and to address areas that may not be working as well, and never more so with the major disruptions to the programme from the COVID‐19 pandemic and response. Conclusions are that evaluation and research are synergistic with a complex, dynamic programme like Childsmile. The evidence obtained allows for appraisal of the relative strengths of component interventions and the reach and impact of Childsmile to feed into national policy.

Dissemination and implementation research for oral and craniofacial health: Background, a review of literature and future directions

“…To date, DIS has been formally applied to dental, oral and craniofacial health in a limited way, and mostly quite recently. Some ongoing work in the area is featured in this special issue (Rindal et al 107 ; Ross et al 108 ). Additionally, below, the relatively small body of literature in the area is summarized.…”

Perspectives on the future of dissemination and implementation research in oral and craniofacial sciences

“…We now have sufficient data and published evidence for what works to guide current policy, but the process of implementing, evaluating, informing and reshaping never really ends. (For more on Childsmile, see the article by Ross and colleagues in the special issue to which this article belongs 20 …”

“…(For more on Childsmile, see the article by Ross and colleagues in the special issue to which this article belongs. 20 ).…”