Reporting stAndards for research in PedIatric Dentistry (RAPID): an expert consensus-based statement

Jayakumar Jayaraman; Vineet Dhar; Kevin J Donly; Ekta Priya; Daniela P Raggio; Noel K Childers; Timothy J Wright; Venkateshbabu Nagendrababu; Mike Clarke; Nigel King; Jan Clarkson; Nicola P T Innes

doi:10.1186/s12903-021-01698-7

Reporting stAndards for research in PedIatric Dentistry (RAPID): an expert consensus-based statement

BMC Oral Health. 2021 Jul 23;21(1):369. doi: 10.1186/s12903-021-01698-7.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, 520 North 12th Street, Richmond, VA, 23298 , USA.
² University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA. vdhar@umaryland.edu.
³ University of Texas Health School of Dentistry, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
⁴ Division of Children's Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁵ Faculdade de Odontologia, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
⁶ School of Dentistry, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA.
⁷ University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
⁸ College of Dental Medicine , University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
⁹ Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK.
¹⁰ University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.
¹¹ University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HR, UK.
¹² School of Dentistry , Cardiff, CF14 4XY, Wales, UK.

Abstract

Background: Reporting guidelines for different study designs are currently available to report studies with accuracy and transparency. There is a need to develop supplementary guideline items that are specific to areas within Pediatric Dentistry. This study aims to develop Reporting stAndards for research in PedIatric Dentistry (RAPID) guidelines using a pre-defined expert consensus-based Delphi process.

Methods: The development of the RAPID guidelines was based on the Guidance for Developers of Health Research Reporting Guidelines. Following a comprehensive search of the literature, the Executive Group identified ten themes in Pediatric Dentistry and compiled a draft checklist of items under each theme. The themes were categorized as: General, Oral Medicine, Pathology and Radiology, Children with Special Health Care Needs, Sedation and Hospital Dentistry, Behavior Guidance, Dental Caries, Preventive and Restorative Dentistry, Pulp Therapy, Traumatology, and Interceptive Orthodontics. A RAPID Delphi Group (RDG) was formed comprising of 69 members from 15 countries across six continents. Items were scored using a 9-point rating Likert scale. Items achieving a score of seven and above, marked by at least 70% of RDG members were accepted into the RAPID checklist items. Weighted mean scores were calculated for each item. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 and one-way ANOVA was used to calculate the difference in the weighted mean scores between the themes.

Results: The final RAPID checklist comprised of 128 items that were finalized and approved by the RDG members in the online consensus meeting. The percentage for high scores (scores 7 to 9) ranged from 69.57 to 100% for individual items. The overall weighted mean score of the final items ranged from 7.51 to 8.28 (out of 9) and the difference was statistically significant between the themes (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The RAPID statement provides guidance to researchers, authors, reviewers and editors, to ensure that all elements relevant to particular studies are adequately reported.

Keywords: Children; Delphi; Guidelines; Pediatric dentistry; RAPID; Reporting.

Publication types

Consensus Development Conference

MeSH terms

Child
Dental Caries*
Humans
Pediatric Dentistry*
Research Design
Research Report

Grants and funding

G0901530/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom