We are today
publishing the findings from research designed to help us to unlock the
potential of GDC fitness to practise data.
Fitness to
practise plays an important role in public protection, and the new findings
underpin long term goals for improved timeliness and proportionality and will
help us to progress work to enable learning from the process.
The
multi-method research, conducted by the University of Plymouth, was
commissioned to examine our fitness to practise data and processes.
Researchers
analysed case file data recorded over a five-year period (involving around 2%
of our registrant population), talked to those who work in fitness to practise,
both at the GDC and at other healthcare professional regulators, and other key
stakeholders. The findings include the results of a review of published
evidence on how fitness to practise data is analysed and used to support
learning for regulators and stakeholders.
Researchers
were able to extract broad themes and considerations from the fitness to
practise data, and have identified characteristics of dental professionals that
are overrepresented data when compared to the registrant population. The
findings point to the complexity of cause and effect, as found elsewhere in
healthcare professional regulation. We know that any analysis of risk is
complex, and should not be used in isolation to draw conclusions, as other
factors may be relevant.
We have used the findings shared with us
to support improved case progression and performance, which has included the
development of performance measures and the initial inquiries pilot. We have more
to do before data analysis can be used to infer meaningful learning for sharing
with stakeholders and to inform prevention.
We need to undertake a data maturity
assessment to inform improvement priorities and opportunities, including how we
might effectively record data to support understanding of considerations,
contextual and human factors, and mitigation.
These findings
provide key insights that will underpin and give impetus to the work needed to
enable meaningful learning and unlock the potential of our fitness to practise
data.
View the full research report.
