Calibration (Examiner)
The process by which clinical examiners in dental research are trained and assessed to ensure their measurements are consistent with each other (inter-examiner) and with themselves over time (intra-examiner).
Full Definition
Examiner calibration is a mandatory methodological procedure in dental epidemiology and clinical trials to minimise measurement bias in clinical indices such as probing depth, attachment level, and radiographic assessments. It involves repeated practice measurements against a gold standard or reference examiner, followed by statistical assessment of agreement (e.g., intraclass correlation coefficient or kappa statistic). In editorial review, the methods section of any clinical study reporting clinical indices must explicitly state that examiners were calibrated and report the reliability statistics obtained. Failure to report calibration is a common methodological gap flagged during peer review and editorial assessment.
Usage
Usage note: Editors should check that the methods section reports both the calibration procedure and the resulting agreement statistics (e.g., ICC, kappa). The absence of this information warrants a query to the authors.
In Context
- "All three examiners underwent a two-day calibration exercise prior to data collection, achieving intraclass correlation coefficients above 0.85 for probing depth measurements." — Methods section of a multicentre periodontal trial
- "The editor queried the absence of examiner calibration data in the methods section, noting this was a prerequisite for publication." — Peer review editorial note on a clinical trial submission