IADR Abstract Archives
Dental Students’ Performance on Providing Holistic Care in Comprehensive Clinic
Objectives: Holistic care concept has been introduced to the dental curriculum at Prince of Songkla University since 2005. This study aim to assess student performance from patient perception towards holistic patient-centered approach in comprehensive clinic.
Methods: All 5th and 6th year dental students (n = 122) and qualified patients (n = 745) were invited to participate the study. A questionnaire consisting of 21 items was developed based on a range of clinical skills essential (data collection, planning, treatment, and oral health prevention and promotion) for providing holistic care. Three to five patients of each student were telephone interviewed to rate student performance using a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). A passing score was defined as a score greater than 3. Additional questions asked patients about overall satisfaction with dental services and frequency of oral hygiene instruction received. Patient ratings were aggregated for each student. Rating scores were analyzed with descriptive statistics and a chi-square.
Results: A total of 116 students (95.08%) and 412 patients (55.30%) provided consent to participate in research. For each item, more than 85% of patients rated dental students’ performance as pass. More than 95% of patients rated overall satisfaction with dental care as very or completely satisfied. About 80% of patients reported that they received oral hygiene instruction at least three times. However, significant difference in percentages that dental students receiving a passing score form all patients under their services were seen among four clinical skills (40% for treatment skill vs. less than 20% for data collection, treatment plan, and oral health prevention and promotion skills).
Conclusions: To increase quality of holistic care, all four clinical skills need improvement.
Methods: All 5th and 6th year dental students (n = 122) and qualified patients (n = 745) were invited to participate the study. A questionnaire consisting of 21 items was developed based on a range of clinical skills essential (data collection, planning, treatment, and oral health prevention and promotion) for providing holistic care. Three to five patients of each student were telephone interviewed to rate student performance using a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). A passing score was defined as a score greater than 3. Additional questions asked patients about overall satisfaction with dental services and frequency of oral hygiene instruction received. Patient ratings were aggregated for each student. Rating scores were analyzed with descriptive statistics and a chi-square.
Results: A total of 116 students (95.08%) and 412 patients (55.30%) provided consent to participate in research. For each item, more than 85% of patients rated dental students’ performance as pass. More than 95% of patients rated overall satisfaction with dental care as very or completely satisfied. About 80% of patients reported that they received oral hygiene instruction at least three times. However, significant difference in percentages that dental students receiving a passing score form all patients under their services were seen among four clinical skills (40% for treatment skill vs. less than 20% for data collection, treatment plan, and oral health prevention and promotion skills).
Conclusions: To increase quality of holistic care, all four clinical skills need improvement.