Types of Metrics Commonly Used in Evaluations

The specific goals of the rural oral health program should be considered when determining the metrics for program evaluation. Rural oral health programs collect qualitative and quantitative information on program processes, outputs, and outcomes. Common metrics include:

Process Measures

Number of encounters for oral health services per month or year
Number of dental professionals trained to use an evidence-based curricula
Number of dental professionals providing oral healthcare services
Number and level of participation of organizations involved in the program
Number of preventive procedures provided
Number of referrals to other providers
Number of participants who express awareness of the existence of oral health programs in their communities

Outcome Measures

Frequency of tooth brushing
Time spent brushing teeth
Reasons for not brushing teeth
Time since the last visit to the dentist
Preventive services received during the past two years
Health outcomes (oral health improvements)
Gross annual operating expenses
Average length of time that a dental clinic is fully scheduled
Payer mix

Impact Measures

Percentage increase in patients served
Percentage increase in oral health exams given by dental clinics
Amount of additional revenue available to health centers/ dental clinics

Resources to Learn More

Educators' Guide to Service-Learning Program Evaluation
Document
Provides information on the outcome measures of program evaluation and the process used to design them.
Organization(s): RMC Research Corporation

Pediatric Oral Health Quality and Performance Measures: Environmental Scan
Document
Presents findings from an environmental scan of performance and quality measures for pediatric populations. Describes existing measures and gaps in quality measurement concepts, and presents an initial set of pediatric oral health performance measures for use by dental professionals.
Organization(s): American Dental Association (ADA), Dental Quality Alliance (DQA)
Date: 2012