How do UK based GDPs understand and experience management of molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH)?
You are being invited to participate in a research study. Before you decide whether to participate, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and feel free to ask us if you would like more information or if there is anything that you do not understand. Please also feel free to discuss this with your friends, and relatives. We would like to stress that you do not have to accept this invitation and should only agree to take part if you want to.
Thank you for reading this.
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study is to gather information regarding GDPs experience of managing children with MIH in primary care. We are interested to know the challenges that may exist when managing these children and whether MIH is viewed as a clinically important condition by GDPs. The findings of the study should inform postgraduate and undergraduate teaching on MIH.
Why have I been chosen to take part?
You have been chosen to take part as you are a GDP currently practicing within the UK who treats children as part of your normal practice.
Do I have to take part?
Participation is voluntary and you are free to withdraw at any time should you decide to participate, without explanation, and without incurring a disadvantage.
What will happen if I take part?
You have shown interest in taking part and this is why this information document has been sent to you. If you want to take part you should email the researcher to confirm you give consent for this.
Once this has been agreed, the researcher will contact you at a time convenient to yourself – either during an evening or weekend. She will introduce herself, confirm consent again and explain what will happen during the call. She will remind you not to disclose any identifiable patient information, to protect patient confidentiality. She will also advise you that if information is disclosed that calls into question the participants fitness to practice, the participant will be contacted by telephone again within in a week of the interview to discuss the concern, and if serious, the General Dental Council would be informed.
She will inform you when she will start recording, at the start of the formal interviews. The researcher will ask multiple questions about your experience of children with MIH, and you should answer as honestly and fully as possible. This process will not take longer than around 20 minutes. At the end she will thank you for your time and hang up.
The recorded telephone call will be sent to a member of clerical staff at University of Liverpool, who will transcribe the recording into text – no names will be used and therefore the data will become anonymous.
The researcher is a postgraduate student carrying out a research degree alongside speciality training in paediatric dentistry. She is supervised by experienced researchers in dentistry.
A finite number of interviews will take place. If a large number of potential participants return consent, it is possible not every person will be needed for interview. If you are not required to take part in the interview process, the researcher will inform you by email.
How will my data be used?
University of Liverpool is the sponsor for this study based in the United Kingdom. We will be using information from you in order to undertake this study and will act as the data controller for this study. This means that we are responsible for looking after your information and using it properly. University of Liverpool will keep identifiable information about you until the study has been published and reparation of further grants has been completed, estimated to be around ten years. If you return consent but are not required for interview, your demographic details and consent will be stored until the researcher has completed the analysis of results and written the report for this project.
Your rights to access, change or move your information are limited, as we need to manage your information in specific ways in order for the research to be reliable and accurate. If you withdraw from the study, we will keep the information about you that we have already obtained. To safeguard your rights, we will use the minimum personally-identifiable information possible.
Further information regarding how your data will be used is found in the table below.
| How will my data be collected? | Recorded on a telephone application |
| How will my data be stored? | As a sound file initially – once transcribed the sound file will be destroyed. Transcripts will be stored on password protected university computers. The transcripts will be sent to the lead researcher and destroyed by the staff who has transcribed it. |
| How long will my data be stored for? | It will be held by University of Liverpool until reparation of further grants estimated to be around 10 years. |
| What measures are in place to protect the security and confidentiality of my data? | Information will be stored on a password protected University computer in a locked office. |
| Will my data be anonymised? | Yes |
| How will my data be used? | Qualitative analysis will be used and the anonymised results will be presented at dental conferences and in peer reviewed journals. |
| Who will have access to my data? | Only the lead researcher, Sarah Humphreys, will be able to access and view the data. |
| Will my data be archived for use in other research projects in the future? | No |
| How will my data be destroyed? | Data will be safely destroyed following university procedures. |
You can find out more about how we use your information by contacting s.j.humphreys@liverpool.ac.uk. For further information about data protection please contact LegalServices@liverpool.ac.uk
Expenses and/ or payments
There are no expenses involved the interview process. Participants will be sent an online shopping voucher worth £10 to thank them for taking part.
Are there any risks in taking part?
There are no anticipated risks to participants.
Are there any benefits to taking part?
If the research identifies learning needs within the population of GDPs in the UK, this will be used to improve teaching of MIH in dental schools at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and within postgraduate continuing professional development courses.
What will happen to the results of the study?
GDP that have participated in the study will be sent an email with a brief explanation of the results once the study is complete. The results will be submitted for publishing in a peer reviewed dental journal and will be presented at dental conferences.
What will happen if I want to stop taking part?
Participation is voluntary and you are free to withdraw at any time should you decide to participate, without explanation, and without incurring a disadvantage. If you withdraw from the study, we will keep the information about you that we have already obtained. To safeguard your rights, we will use the minimum personally-identifiable information possible.
What if I am unhappy or there is a problem?
If you are unhappy, or if there is a problem, please feel free to let us know by contacting Sarah Humphreys on 0151 706 5039 (s.j.humphreys@liverpool.ac.uk) and we will try to help. If you remain unhappy or have a complaint which you feel you cannot come to us with then you should contact the Research Ethics and Integrity Office at ethics@liv.ac.uk. When contacting the Research Ethics and Integrity Office, please provide details of the name or description of the study (so that it can be identified), the researcher(s) involved, and the details of the complaint you wish to make.
The University strives to maintain the highest standards of rigour in the processing of your data. However, if you have any concerns about the way in which the University processes your personal data, it is important that you are aware of your right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office by calling 0303 123 1113.
Who can I contact if I have further questions?
Sarah Humphreys
Paediatric Dentistry Department
Liverpool University Dental Hospital
Pembroke Place
L3 5PS
0151 706 5039
s.j.humphreys@liverpool.ac.uk