An in-depth interview-based study to understand the implementation of oral health-related policies and strategies in India.

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: NA. Key policy experts and senior leaders in the field of oral health and/or policy planning/implementation included for key-informants interview.

• Registration Number: CTRI/2021/12/038412
• Lead Sponsor: Lakshmi Balraj

Brief Summary

This study is conducted to better understand the national efforts focused on improving the oral healthcare scenario in India. Literature suggests that the national oral health policy of India (OHP) was drafted way back in 1986. In 1994, the national oral health policy developed by DCI was accepted as a part of National Health Policy of India. The current status of the policy remains bleak even today. Although there is an increasing focus towards oral health policy among the researchers, much of the available literature is limited to recommendations and suggestions for a sustainable OHP in India. Recently, as a part of National Health Policy 2017, the working draft of national oral health policy by MoHFW was released on public domain seeking for public comments. Our research aims to fill the research gaps in oral health policy research. Hence, an in depth understanding of various aspects of the OHP-implementationprocess including an exploration of the factors influencing the implementation OHP in India will form the crux of our research. Right from its inception, oral health policy has been incorporated to be a part of National health policy (NHP) of India. Another recent component of NHP 2017 which envisages to channelize some dedicated efforts towards oral health is the recently launched national healthcare scheme ‘Ayushman Bharat’. This scheme promises to provide certain basic oral health services to the entitled beneficiaries under the PM-JAY insurance scheme. It also aims to incorporate oral healthcare into the primary healthcare level by means of Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs). Not much is known and scientifically published about what this scheme potentially holds for the oral health advancement in India. Hence, the research also attempts to understand the perspectives of the key informants regarding the potential of the recently launched ‘Ayushman Bharat’ and its inclusivity of oral health.

The broad aim of the study is to better understand the national efforts focused on improving the oral healthcare scenario in India.

The main objectives of the study are:

• To understand the current status of national oral health policy implementation in India.

• To understand the policy process and the factors influencing the implementation of oral health-related policies in India at national and state level.

• To understand the scope and potential of the national health insurance scheme ‘Ayushman Bharat’ in relation to oral health in India.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Last Update Posted: 2021-02-12
• Study Start: 2021-12-23

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 15

Inclusion Criteria

• Key informants.
• Owing to the ‘high-level’ nature of this study and the importance of participants having an extensive understanding and/or experience in oral health policy and planning, only senior leaders and key experts in India will be approached for participation.
• A combination of purposive and snowball sampling schemes will be used to select the key informants.
• The following main streams of participants will be targeted: (i) the academic professoriate, (ii) policymakers, (iii) bureaucrats or civil servants implementing the oral health-related policies and strategies at state/regional level.
• Age/gender limits: NA.

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: Observational
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
The study outcome will be the perspectives of key informants which will help in better	A prior consent will be obtained before conducting and audio-recording the interviews. Field notes will be taken during and immediately after the interviews. The recorded interviews will be transcribed verbatim before analysis is done by Atlas-ti software. Participant identities will be deidentified during analysis and reporting. The transcripts and the audio recordings of the interview will be immediately deleted after the findings are published.
understanding the context of oral health policy implementation. Their perspectives and	A prior consent will be obtained before conducting and audio-recording the interviews. Field notes will be taken during and immediately after the interviews. The recorded interviews will be transcribed verbatim before analysis is done by Atlas-ti software. Participant identities will be deidentified during analysis and reporting. The transcripts and the audio recordings of the interview will be immediately deleted after the findings are published.
recommendations will serve as advocacy calls to action to legislators and policymakers towards implementation of sustainable oral health strategic plans for India. So, the outcomes of this study	A prior consent will be obtained before conducting and audio-recording the interviews. Field notes will be taken during and immediately after the interviews. The recorded interviews will be transcribed verbatim before analysis is done by Atlas-ti software. Participant identities will be deidentified during analysis and reporting. The transcripts and the audio recordings of the interview will be immediately deleted after the findings are published.
will be discussed as related to the qualitative data and will not be looking for any associations in the data.	A prior consent will be obtained before conducting and audio-recording the interviews. Field notes will be taken during and immediately after the interviews. The recorded interviews will be transcribed verbatim before analysis is done by Atlas-ti software. Participant identities will be deidentified during analysis and reporting. The transcripts and the audio recordings of the interview will be immediately deleted after the findings are published.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Qualitative data on oral health strategies and/or policies implemented at a state or regional level in India. Factors influencing their implementation.	Key informants (in this case state nodal officers) will be identified through snowballing after interviewing the initial few identified key experts/ senior leaders in the field. As and when state nodal (dental) officers will be interviewed, the transcripts will be coded to analyze and obtain the secondary outcome.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Kasturba Medical College and Kasturba Hospital Institutional Ethics Committee; 🇮🇳 Udupi, KARNATAKA, India

Kasturba Medical College and Kasturba Hospital Institutional Ethics Committee

🇮🇳Udupi, KARNATAKA, India

Dr Lakshmi Balraj

Principal investigator

9742504911

lakshmi.balraj@gmail.com