From May 8, the Open Standards Initiative offers all dental professionals access to the highly regarded standards and guidance documents produced by the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) [FGDP (UK)], whether they are members of the Faculty or not.
As part of a programme designed to ensure the documents reach the widest possible audience, the Open Standards Initiative means every dental professional will be able to view the full text of all FGDP (UK) standards and guidance documents online. Documents include Selection Criteria for Dental Radiography guidelines and Clinical Examination and Record Keeping amongst others.
“The FGDP (UK) exists to raise standards of oral health through standard setting, publications, postgraduate training and assessment, education and research. We want our standards and guidance documents to reach the widest possible audience for the benefit of the profession and the patients we treat in order to fulfil this mission,” says Trevor W. Ferguson, Dean of the FGDP (UK).
“We are releasing e-book versions of our standards and guidance, as well as continuing to sell the existing book versions. This is phase one of the Open Standards Initiative,” continues Trevor. “We shall be releasing details of Phase two later this year!”
To access the documents faculty members will simply need to log onto the website www.fgdp.org.uk as usual. Non-members will in time be required to register but at present will be able to log on using openstandards as both the user name and password. There will be no charge to view the text online.
Background to the Open Standards Initiative
The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) exists to positively influence oral health through education of the dental profession and the provision of evidence-based guidance.
Published as a set of books, the FGDP (UK)’s standards have long been accepted by the dental profession, regulators and indemnifiers as authoritative guides to safe practice, best practice and aspirational practice in dentistry. However, the Faculty has long recognised that there is disconnect between its aims in producing the standards guidance and the method it uses to disseminate them.
“The FGDP (UK)’s standards and guidance will not have the influence on the profession and therefore nation’s oral health that they otherwise could while they remain behind a pay-wall,” says Trevor W. Ferguson, Dean of the FGDP (UK). “For this reason today we are announcing the launch of a major new initiative: The Open Standards Initiative.”
The first phase of the Open Standards Initiative (OSI) starts with the removal of the pay-wall that exists around the Faculty’s standards. From today, three of the FGDP (UK)’s publications will be available to view online without charge. These publications are:
- Clinical Examination and Record Keeping.
- Selection Criteria for Dental Radiography Antimicrobial Prescribing for General Dental Practitioners.
These will be followed in due course with the addition of updated versions of:
- Standards in Dentistry.
- Guidance for the Maintenance of Natural Rubber Latex Allergies.
All members of the dental profession will be able to access these publications either through their FGDP (UK) membership login or by registering on the FGDP (UK) website.
The FGDP (UK) will work with partner organisations, from dental schools to indemnifiers to ensure that the profession is aware that these publications are now available.
The second phase of the Open Standards Initiative is a recognition that the way the profession holds and consumes information is changing. Consequently the FGDP (UK) is launching e-book versions of its standards, to be followed later in the year by a mobile app.
Dean of the FGDP (UK) Trevor Ferguson says, “The Open Standards Initiative represents a major change in the way that the FGDP (UK) relates to the dental profession. We recognise that however good they may be, our standards and guidance have no impact if people do not have access to them. Today we begin the process of providing every dental professional in the UK with free online access to our standards guidance, and in the process of facilitating better informed clinical judgements.”
The Faculty of General Dental Practice(UK) was formed in 1992 as the academic home for general dental practitioners (GDPs). The FGDP (UK) is based at The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng) with the aim of improving the standard of care delivered to patients through standard setting, publications, postgraduate training and assessment, education and research.
Around 95 per cent of the dental care in the UK is provided in the primary dental care setting. The FGDP (UK) looks after the continuing professional development (CPD) and training needs of both dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs) working in this field.
Membership of the FGDP (UK) is open to all dentists, dental surgeons and dental care professionals registered with the General Dental Council.