Generating your PAR data

PAR Assessments

It is now a statutory requirement of the new NHS orthodontic contract for all orthodontists to monitor treatment outcomes for 20 cases plus 10% of the remainder of their caseload every year using PAR (Peer Assessment Rating).

The new FP17(O), now in use on all cases from 1st April 2008, has a tick box to indicate if the case has received a PAR Assessment.It is believed that this will be used to help the DSD to decide which cases to monitor through PAR.

PAR measures the pre-treatment and the post-treatment study models.Measurements are taken on the models with a PAR ruler.The difference between the scores is the PAR improvement due to the treatment.

A fuller description of PAR is on the BOS website at:

http://www.bos.org.uk/researchaudit/theparindex/Peer+Assessment+Rating+Index.htm

Out of Practice PAR Assessments

If you want someone experienced and calibrated in PAR assessments to score your models, the BOS website has a list of calibrated PAR scorers at:

http://www.bos.org.uk/researchaudit/theparindex/List+of+Calibrated+PAR+Scorers.htm

Internal PAR Assessments

If you want to PAR score your own cases it is better to attend a calibration course first.But this is not a mandatory requirement and at present the NHS permits you to score your own cases without being calibrated.

You will need a PAR ruler and an Occlusal Indices booklet which explains how to use the ruler and how to calculate the score using the score weightings.It also explains how to calculate the improvement due to your treatment.

You can obtain the PAR ruler and the Occlusal Indices booklet from:

Ortho-Care (UK) Ltd

5 Oxford Place

Bradford

BD3 0EF

Telephone 01274 392017

http://www.orthocare.co.uk

http://www.orthocare.co.uk/acatalog/IOTN___Introduction_to_.html

Recording PAR.

A PAR scoring sheet is helpful.This can be downloaded from the BOS website at:

http://www.bos.org.uk/researchaudit/theparindex/parscoringsheet.htm

ORTHDEX software makes the scoring of PAR much easier.The values are simple to record.The software calculates all the weightings, gives the percentage improvement and the outcome in terms the Nomogram “Greatly improved”, “Improved” and “Worse/no different”.

ORTHDEX is available in two versions:

1. The web based version is available at a cost of £125 pounds per annum which includes telephone support and advice. This is inclusive of VAT and represents exceptional value for money. It is available to both PC and Mac users.

The data is held on secure servers and is confidential, fully backed up and available only to the individual practice which entered the information. The Practice can also download the data onto their own computer. Look at:

https://www.orthdex.net/index.html

2. The stand alone version is available at a cost of £650 pounds plus VAT and for PC users only. There are no help facilities and no upgrades available with this version.

Contact

EPS

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Exeter Business Park

Exeter,

EX1 3QS

Tel: 01392 314024 fax: 01392314001

support@epsresearch.com