Protocol summary
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Study aim
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To investigate the effectiveness of a smart phone application as a method to activate healthcare personnel in the field of oral health, to increase and update their knowledge in this field, and to establish an interactive and sustainable platform for inter-professional and interdisciplinary approach for health promotion.
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Design
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Randomised controlled, superiority, two arm parallel group, on 174 samples. For randomisation, random number function of Excel software is used.
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Settings and conduct
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The personnel of selected Health Centers and Health Houses will be invited to participate in the study. The baseline and follow up questionnaires will be delivered by the researchers to the participants in their workplace (Comprehensive Health Centers and Health Houses), and will be collected immediately. Upon collecting the baseline questionnaire, instruction to install the SPA will be given to SPA group. The booklet will also be sent to booklet group immediately after baseline data collection either via email or social network. Before delivering the baseline questionnaire, the informed consent form will be signed by the participants.
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Participants/Inclusion and exclusion criteria
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1.Health visitors or Behvarzes having a Smartphone
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Intervention groups
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Comprehensive Health Centers and Health Houses will be randomly divided into two groups: one group receives training through smartphone application, and the other group receives an electronic booklet with the same content as SPA.
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Main outcome variables
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1.Knowledge of oral health
2.Attitude towards oral health
3.Self-reported oral health practice
General information
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Reason for update
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The initial trial registration specified an upper age limit of ≤35 years based on the assumption that younger primary healthcare personnel would be more likely to use smartphones. However, before recruitment, it became evident that smartphone use was common among eligible primary healthcare personnel across all age groups. Therefore, this age restriction was considered unnecessary and was not applied during participant recruitment.
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Acronym
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IRCT registration information
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IRCT registration number:
IRCT20160910029765N2
Registration date:
2021-04-21, 1400/02/01
Registration timing:
prospective
Last update:
2026-08-28, 1405/06/06
Update count:
1
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Registration date
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2021-04-21, 1400/02/01
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Registrant information
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Recruitment status
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Recruitment complete
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Funding source
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Expected recruitment start date
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2021-05-22, 1400/03/01
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Expected recruitment end date
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2021-07-23, 1400/05/01
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Actual recruitment start date
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empty
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Actual recruitment end date
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empty
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Trial completion date
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empty
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Scientific title
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The effect of interactive learning of health visitors and behvarzes in the field of oral health through smartphone software in comparison with the electronic booklet to promote oral health knowledge, attitude and self-reported practice
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Public title
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The effect of interactive learning of health visitors and behvarzes in the field of oral health through smartphone software in comparison with the electronic booklet
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Purpose
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Health service research
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Inclusion/Exclusion criteria
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Inclusion criteria:
Health visitors and Behvarzes having a Smartphone
Exclusion criteria:
Health visitors and Behvarzes who have a valid degree related to dentistry
Health visitors and Behvarzes who have attended dental training courses in the past year
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Age
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No age limit
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Gender
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Both
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Phase
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N/A
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Groups that have been masked
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Sample size
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Target sample size:
174
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Randomization (investigator's opinion)
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Randomized
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Randomization description
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First two strata, proportional to size, one for Comprehensive Health Centers, and one for Health Houses (the proportional to size: 1 to 2, respectively) will be defined. We will use simple randomization technique using random number function of Excel software, to select clusters (Health centers, Health houses) as randomization unit. Then, by flipping coin, each cluster will be assigned to intervention or control group.
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Blinding (investigator's opinion)
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Single blinded
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Blinding description
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The data collection tool is a self-administered anonymous questionnaire and only the participants know the confidential code which he/she writes in the baseline and follow up questionnaire to enable assessment of individual changes. All the data will be remained anonymous and confidential to the statistical analyst.
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Placebo
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Not used
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Assignment
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Parallel
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Other design features
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Ethics committees
1
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Ethics committee
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Approval date
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2021-01-31, 1399/11/12
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Ethics committee reference number
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IR.TUMS.DENTISTRY.REC.1399.211
Health conditions studied
1
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Description of health condition studied
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Oral health knowledge, attitude and self-reported practice of health visitors and Behvarzes
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ICD-10 code
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ICD-10 code description
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Primary outcomes
1
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Description
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Knowledge of oral health
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Timepoint
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Baseline (beginning of the study) and 4 months later
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Method of measurement
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Baseline questionnaire and follow-up questionnaire
2
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Description
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Attitude towards oral health
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Timepoint
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Baseline (beginning of the study) and 4 months later
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Method of measurement
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Baseline questionnaire and follow-up questionnaire
3
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Description
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Self-reported oral health practice
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Timepoint
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Baseline (beginning of the study) and 4 months later
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Method of measurement
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Baseline questionnaire and follow-up questionnaire
Intervention groups
1
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Description
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Intervention group: receives training through smartphone application. The SPA contains various parts including educational material, question & answer section, notification panel, search, and contact information. The educational material includes mainly text and multi-media. The educational content includes general definition of common oral diseases, etiologies and signs and symptoms; how to prevent common oral diseases; appropriate methods of tooth brushing in various age groups; importance of fluoride; early childhood caries and its prevention; dietary habits; and how and when to refer a patient to dentist
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Category
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Other
2
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Description
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Control group: receives an electronic booklet. The booklet contains educational material in text and picture format, and contact information. The educational content is the same as that in SPA
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Category
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Other
1
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Sponsor
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Grant name
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Grant code / Reference number
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Is the source of funding the same sponsor organization/entity?
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Yes
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Title of funding source
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Tehran University of Medical Sciences
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Proportion provided by this source
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100
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Public or private sector
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Public
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Domestic or foreign origin
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Domestic
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Category of foreign source of funding
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empty
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Country of origin
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Type of organization providing the funding
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Academic
Sharing plan
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Deidentified Individual Participant Data Set (IPD)
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Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
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Study Protocol
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Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
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Statistical Analysis Plan
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Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
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Informed Consent Form
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Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
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Clinical Study Report
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Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
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Analytic Code
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Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
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Data Dictionary
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Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available