Nationwide Awareness Campaign and Call for Dental Screening for HHT in Germany
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 411
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Number of inquiries to the German self-help group
Study Overview
Brief Summary
HHT is a relative rare autosomal dominant inherited disorder of the fibrovascular tissue. Diagnosis of HHT is often delayed for decades (Pierucci 2012). However, it would be desirable to achieve an early diagnosis as early screening and treatment decrease disease-associated complications and increase life expectancy (Kroon 2018). Our approach is a nationwide call and awareness campaign to dentists in Germany, as nearly all persons visit a dentist from time to time. This approach is promising to us, as most patients develop nosebleeds and multiple, typical telangiectases of the skin or mucosa. A predilection site is the oral mucosa and the face, including the lips (Shovlin 2000).
Detailed Description
The German self-help group is taking down the number of inquiries from patients and physicians per months since April 2017. In June 2018 an article about HHT is planned to be published in the journal of the German dental association and the Federal Association of Fund Dentists of Germany. This journal is distributed to all dentists in Germany and is a set book for them. Total circulation in 2017 was 77,621 (http://www.aerzteverlag.de/portfolio/fachwissen-medizindental/zm-zahnaerztliche-mitteilungen/profil/ ). The article describes the case of visceral abscesses after dental screening in a patient with HHT and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations. These could probably have been prevented if the dentist had prescribed an antibiotic prophylaxis to the patient. The article includes a call to search for telangiectases. If those are seen the dentist is recommended to ask the patient if he or relatives have nosebleeds. If both apply, the dentist is asked to inform the patient about HHT and give him the address of the national German self-help group.
After 3 and 6 months a reminder shall be published in the same journal.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Observational
- Observational Model
- Cohort
- Time Perspective
- Prospective
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 0 Years to — (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •patients having telangiectasia and nosebleeds or nosebleeds in the family
Exclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Number of inquiries to the German self-help group
Time Frame: 1 year
Number of inquiries to the German self-help group before and after publication of the articles.
Secondary Outcomes
- Number of specific HHT diagnosis in the information system for health services (Informationssystem Versorgungsforschung) of the national German institute for medical documentation and information (DIMDI)(1 year)
Investigators
Urban Geisthoff
Prof. Dr. med.
Philipps University Marburg Medical Center