Perio Insight puts spotlight on national adaptations of EFP clinical practice guideline

The latest issue of the EFP’s Perio Insight magazine explains how EFP’s clinical practice guideline for the treatment of periodontitis stages I-III has been adapted for use at the national level by three of its member societies: the BSP (UK), DG PARO (Germany), and SEPA (Spain).

A series of articles explains how the official “adolopment” process was carried out to ensure that the S3-level guideline is appropriately implemented in each country. This has meant some changes from the original guideline to ensure a perfect fit with each national healthcare system or to comply with national regulations, working closely with the many stakeholders involved in the process.

For example, in the UK a recommendation on antiseptics in toothpastes was not adopted, in Germany a recommendation on periodontal surgery was downgraded and reworded to avoid potential legal problems, and in Spain the strength of a negative recommendation on the adjunctive use of subantimicrobial-dose doxycycline was upgraded because this medication is not authorised for such use in the country.

In all three versions, various guidelines were modified slightly to take account of national circumstances.

In three related articles in Perio Insight, issue 15, members of the EFP’s Workshop committee who led the adolopment process explain how it was done, the reasons why changes were made, and why the national implementation of the EFP guideline is so important for European periodontology.

“The local adolopment processes of the EFP clinical practice guideline, even though long and in part very difficult, have helped to push the important information in the guideline into the local clinics and practices,” says Moritz Kebschull, who has helped lead the adolopment process in both the UK and Germany. “Thus, the EFP and its member societies are actively improving the quality of periodontal treatment in Europe.”

The summer issue of Perio Insight also features an article on the EFP-commissioned report published by the Economist Intelligence Unit which analyses the financial and human cost of periodontitis in six European countries.

“Perio Insight brings cutting-edge, simplified science, and clinical guidelines to all EFP members,” said Joanna Kamma, Perio Insight editor. “The highlights of this edition are the societal and economic impact of periodontitis and how periodontists can implement the clinical guidelines for treating periodontal patients.”

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