The aim of the present study was to assess the attitude of students attending 4th and 6th year of the Faculty of Dental Medicine in Iasi towards HIV-seropositive patients. A questionnaire was elaborated, containing 14 ethic statements related to some aspects they may encounter in their future career: the observance of confidentiality and the rights of HIV/AIDS infected patients, the refusal of dedicated treatment and the appreciation of discrimination in this situation. The results have identified some negative aspects regarding the above mentioned issues, mainly in terms of the refusal of specialized treatment. A percentage between 47.4% and 38.4% of the students strongly agreed to the affirmations according to which the risk of cross-infection and the lack of some safety conditions at work may be a reason for the refusal to provide dental treatment. The responses referring to discrimination suggest that there is a negative attitude towards the following aspects: the treatment of HIV-infected patients in different offices, the refusal to continue treatment after confirmation of the diagnosis, the refusal to cooperate with an infected colleague. Only 57.8% of the subjects considered the refusal of treatment as discrimination, with no statistical differences between the years of study. The results suggest both the need to modify the academic curriculum by introducing some ethics and medical legislation courses, and the adoption of a strategy for the increase of empathy and social responsibility in relation to this group of discriminated persons.
Aims and Objectives: To investigate the trends in access to dental services among adults from the N-E region of Romania and to evaluate the factors that influence access to dental care. Material and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate the access and utilization of dental care among a sample of adults. We collected data on their demographic characteristics, their type of medical insurance, their monthly income, the type of dental office they visited, their reasons for choosing a certain type of dentist office, and their oral hygiene habits. It was found that their financial status determined by the occupation of the individual, as well as their monthly income, influenced their access to medical services. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0. Results: Of a total of 696 participants, 55.6% were female, 83.3% were from urban areas, 42.1% were retired, 62.3% of the subjects utilized dental emergency services, and 67.9% of the subjects self-funded their treatment. The reasons for women not attending dental offices included costs (24.3%) and dental fear (9.8%), while men’s reasons were high costs (26.4%) and lack of time (5.9%). Significant differences were recorded between gender and reasons for visiting the dentist (p = 0.018), payment for dental services (p = 0.009), and preferred clinic (p = 0.010). In relation to occupation, there were significant differences for most of the variables evaluated (reasons to visit a dentist, payment for dental services, preferred dental clinic, self-rated oral health, etc.). Conclusions: Gender, occupation, and monthly income levels were found to influence access to dental medicine services of Romanians in the N-E region. Dental services were frequently accessed for emergency reasons. Dental services were found to be paid for by state insurance for those with low monthly incomes and self-funded for those with higher monthly incomes.
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