Background and aims Over the last decade, regulators have taken significant steps towards tackling perceptions that regulatory systems are burdensome. There has been much international research activity in the regulation of health and care professionals. This article reports a review of studies on health professions regulation between January 2011 and March 2020. Its chief object was to provide robust and up-to-date evidence to assist regulators in policy development and implementation. The main objectives of this study were to: Identify and retrieve research in the field of health and care professions regulation in English since 2011; Evaluate the published research, exploring its utility to regulators and practitioners, and drawing out any key messages; Draw conclusions concerning the scope and limitations of the research literature and identify areas for further research. Methods We undertook a rapid evidence assessment (REA) of the international literature on health and care professions regulation, including reviewing ten UK regulators’ websites to identify issues of concern and strategic priorities. We retrieved 3833 references, using a four-stage screening process to select the 81 most relevant. Results Results are reported within six key themes: harm prevention and patient safety; fitness to practise; quality assurance of education and training; registration including maintenance of registers; guidelines and standards and relations with regulatory bodies. Conclusions Regulation of professionals in health and care is comparatively undeveloped as a field of academic study. Consequently, the published evidence is diffuse and small-scale. Most work presents relatively weak data of low relevance to regulators, mainly reporting or describing the current position. Few studies are able to show the impact of regulation or demonstrate a causal link between regulation and its effects. To inform their research and policy agendas health and social care regulators need to commission, interpret and apply the scholarly literature more effectively; academics need to engage with regulators to ensure that their research provides high-quality evidence with practical relevance to the regulators’ agendas. Further study is needed to explore how effective academic collaborations between regulators and researchers may be created and sustained.
Introduction This paper examines views on professionalism in the dental practice workplace through a thematic analysis of data from eight focus groups.Methods Focus groups were conducted with 19 dentists, 13 dental care professionals and 19 members of the public in England and Wales. The research was part of a larger mixed-methods study of professionalism in dentistry commissioned by the General Dental Council.Results The four most prominent themes in the focus group data were: communication, the cost of treatment, the role of the dental team and consequences of professionalism concerns. Participants agreed that these are fundamental professionalism issues, although there was some difference of opinion about addressing them. There was disagreement about the responsibilities of different members of the dental team in maintaining professionalism.Conclusion We conclude that communication skills training should be a central part of the professionalism at all levels of training. Education about team working could foster a more collaborative approach to professionalism across the dental team and support good, patient-centred oral healthcare. Support and guidance are required to help professionals reflect and learn from mistakes.
Introduction: as in other health professions, professionalism is a core concept in dentistry. Endeavours to determine a clear definition of professionalism in dentistry are widespread. However, there has been substantially less focus on the boundaries of professionalism, and what constitutes unprofessional or a lapse in professionalism. Aims: what leads a dentist’s professionalism to be called into question? An exploration of the boundaries between professional and unprofessional and the implications for maintaining professionalism in dentistry. Methods: drawing on data from a large mixed-method study, we conducted a thematic analysis of 772 open-text responses, from dental professionals and members of the public, to an online survey. Results: two lines of argument were identified for the conditions under which a dentist’s professionalism is called into question: circumstances that bear a direct influence on patient care, and circumstances that lead to the loss of patient trust. We identify and review processes that build and foster patient trust and thereby maintain professionalism. Conclusion: the findings support an approach to professionalism that mirrors a dentist’s approach to clinical practice. We provide two detailed recommendations for consideration: learned and tailored interactions, and judgement and reflection.
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