Essential Domains, Core Outcome Sets, and Measurements to Capture Benefits and Harms of Implant Dentistry Interventions: the ID-COSM Initiative.

Consensus on a valid and comprehensive set of outcomes to capture the full benefits and harms of implant dentistry interventions is key for progress towards better clinical guidelines and policy. In this field, outcome research remains fragmented and uses too many different outcomes. Still they are unable to cover the full breadth necessary to properly evaluate benefits, harms and costs. Best practice examples from Medicine have inspired the Implant Dentistry Core Outcome Set and Measurements (ID-COSM) initiative that identified 4 core outcome domain areas (pathophysiology, implant/prosthesis lifespan, life impact, and access to care) and 5 essential outcomes mandatory for all trials and 6 mandatory in specific circumstances. The innovative multistep approach has combined input from scientific evidence, patients from multiple countries, methodologists and industry representatives. It is an important step. The ID-COSM consensus aspires to contribute to better adoption of relevant and valid outcomes in trials and enable combining their results in high-quality meta-analyses to support better informed care and policy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.