Abstract
Design A randomised controlled trial using block design was devised.
Intervention A computer-assisted learning (CAL) programme, with feedback, was tested.
Outcome measure Sensitivity and specificity of caries diagnosis, and the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) method for summarising true-positive ratio (sensitivity) and false-positive ratio (1 — specificity), were used to analyse the dichotomous data.
Results The mean sensitivity for dentine caries detection was 76.3% (standard deviation (SD), 13.0%) for the experimental group and 66.9% (SD, 14.8%) for the control group (P=0.005). Mean false-positive ratios were similar (experimental 28.1% and control 28.7%; P=0.5). The area under the SROC curve was 0.832 for the experimental group and 0.773 for the control group (P=0.002).
Conclusions The CAL programme does improve diagnostic performance. Improving the cognitive feedback provided by the programme should be considered before implementation.
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Address for correspondence: Phil Mileman, Department of Oral Radiology, Academic Centre for Dentistry in Amsterdam (ACTA), Louwesweg 1, 1066 EA Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: phil.mileman@acta.nl
Mileman PA, van den Hout WB, Sanderink GCH. Randomized controlled trial of a computer-assisted learning program to improve caries detection from bitewing radiographs. Dentomaxillofacial Radiol 2003; 32:116–123
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Benn, D. A computer-assisted learning programme to reduce caries detection variability. Evid Based Dent 4, 77 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ebd.6400217
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ebd.6400217
