The Triad Study: Changing Oral Cancer Examination Habits of Patients, Providers and Payers'

Summary:
One Developmental 'Spin-off' study is already in the early planning phase, with initial discussions having been held key collaborators since June 2000. This project is entitled 'The Triad Study: Changing Oral Cancer Examination Habits of Patients, Providers and Payers'. This study will be a community clinical trial in which 'the community' is the community of dental offices, with the dentists and patients being exposed to intervention arms (e.g., one arm in this community trial will include a website on oral cancer and oral cancer examination techniques for the dentists). Also envisioned as key in this study design are the 'payers' (i.e., the third-party payers, largely insurance companies) who will participate by offering. Initial discussions have been held with the individuals from health insurance companies in Puerto Rico who have expressed an interest in exploring this study design. Discussions with the providers (i.e., the dentists in Puerto Rico) have proceeded to the point where the Dental Association of Puerto Rico (formally referred to as the College of Dentists, which serves as the state ADA chapter) has written a letter endorsing the concept of this study. It is anticipated that this study will capitalize upon some of the developmental activities of the Informatics Core which will focus on developing that website-based intervention arm of the study.