Abstract:Special needs patients are one of the underserved dental patient groups in the United States. This study investigates whether undergraduate dental education about special needs patients affects general dentists' a) professional behavior, b) practice characteristics, and c) attitudes concerning special needs patients. Data were collected from 208 general dentists (178 male/30 female; average age: 49.85 years) who were members of the Michigan Dental Association. The more the respondents agreed that dental educat… Show more
“…Reflective learning develops critical thinking skills, improves future performance, and holds considerable promise as a curriculum strategy for helping students attain education competencies . The ability to reflect deeply and critically is a desirable attribute of a competent health professional .…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Approximately 10% of general dentists report treating patients with SHCN often or very often, while 70% said they rarely or never treat patients with SHCN . A report indicated dentists who were more educated about providing care for patients with SHCN were more likely to treat this patient population . Thus, it is imperative that dental schools provide effective programs for educating students in the classroom and clinic about care for them.…”
Objective
Analyze reflection essays written by one graduating class of students after an initial experience in a clinic for adults with special health care needs (SHCN) and intellectual and developmental disabilities, to draw insights from the patterns of observations expressed.
Methods
Essays were written by students from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine during the 2016‐2017 academic year after completing a 1‐day clinical experience treating this patient population. Readers identified 18 primary themes (PTs) previously identified in essays written during 2012‐2013.
Results
The PT Complex communicating through third party was identified in 79.4% of essays. Least common were Frustrated patient could not understand (1.9%) and Frustrated patient could not talk (1.9%). Nine PTs were grouped to represent 3 component themes (CTs): CT1 Communication challenges, CT2 Behavioral challenge, and CT3 Altruistic responses. This grouping showed moderate internal reliability. A fourth, CT4 Emotional challenges, was rejected due to low internal reliability. CT1 was most frequently identified, followed by CT3 then CT2. Three PTs were chosen as indicative of desirable outcomes and were labeled outcome themes (OTs): OT1 Willing to see patients with SHCNs after graduation, OT2 Would like more Special Care Clinic (SCC) experiences in the future, and OT3 Looking forward to next SCC experience. Associations between CTs and OTs were not statistically significant, but provided useful insights.
Conclusion
Reflection essays indicate discussion of strategies to manage behavioral challenges and encouragement of altruistic feelings are both vital in orientation sessions. These topics may be critical to positive student perceptions of the experience.
“…Reflective learning develops critical thinking skills, improves future performance, and holds considerable promise as a curriculum strategy for helping students attain education competencies . The ability to reflect deeply and critically is a desirable attribute of a competent health professional .…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Approximately 10% of general dentists report treating patients with SHCN often or very often, while 70% said they rarely or never treat patients with SHCN . A report indicated dentists who were more educated about providing care for patients with SHCN were more likely to treat this patient population . Thus, it is imperative that dental schools provide effective programs for educating students in the classroom and clinic about care for them.…”
Objective
Analyze reflection essays written by one graduating class of students after an initial experience in a clinic for adults with special health care needs (SHCN) and intellectual and developmental disabilities, to draw insights from the patterns of observations expressed.
Methods
Essays were written by students from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine during the 2016‐2017 academic year after completing a 1‐day clinical experience treating this patient population. Readers identified 18 primary themes (PTs) previously identified in essays written during 2012‐2013.
Results
The PT Complex communicating through third party was identified in 79.4% of essays. Least common were Frustrated patient could not understand (1.9%) and Frustrated patient could not talk (1.9%). Nine PTs were grouped to represent 3 component themes (CTs): CT1 Communication challenges, CT2 Behavioral challenge, and CT3 Altruistic responses. This grouping showed moderate internal reliability. A fourth, CT4 Emotional challenges, was rejected due to low internal reliability. CT1 was most frequently identified, followed by CT3 then CT2. Three PTs were chosen as indicative of desirable outcomes and were labeled outcome themes (OTs): OT1 Willing to see patients with SHCNs after graduation, OT2 Would like more Special Care Clinic (SCC) experiences in the future, and OT3 Looking forward to next SCC experience. Associations between CTs and OTs were not statistically significant, but provided useful insights.
Conclusion
Reflection essays indicate discussion of strategies to manage behavioral challenges and encouragement of altruistic feelings are both vital in orientation sessions. These topics may be critical to positive student perceptions of the experience.
“…Access to dental‐oral care for persons with disabilities is mostly limited by social and physical barriers, including lack of insurance coverage, poverty, race, age, and residency . The patient's ability to pay and the amount of time needed to treat a patient also influence a dentist's decision to treat patients with disabilities …”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Failure to provide dental care may be due to a lack of information during training of dentists, and this can also lead to negative attitudes toward persons with disabilities . A solid knowledge and skills basis will enhance dentists’ attitudes toward treating patients with ID and may allow them to overcome barriers to this treatment, including set up of their practice and hiring or training staff to provide the required support …”
This study examined attitudes of dentists in Jordanian hospitals toward persons with intellectual disabilities. The study also assessed the effect of gender and years of experience of the dentists on their attitudes. Fifty-four dentists were asked to rank their attitudes toward persons with intellectual disabilities on an attitude survey. The results revealed highly positive attitudes of dentists toward persons with intellectual disabilities at Jordanian hospitals. There was no significant effect of years of experiences or gender of the dentists on these attitudes. The positive attitudes of dentists in this study can be used to encourage the medical sector to focus on improvement of services.
“…This collaboration was an opportunity for Pacific and LHH to bring comprehensive care and a full‐time dental presence to the hospital residents and to provide Pacific students a unique and important environment for learning 9 . Research indicates that general dentists who report better education in the care of patients with special needs are more likely to provide services to these populations 10 . Students gain exposure to an interdisciplinary model of care and have the opportunity to see firsthand the importance of communication between the medical and dental staff as well as with social workers.…”
The University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco established a comprehensive dental care program at Laguna Honda Hospital, a public, skilled nursing facility. The program had three goals: (1) to provide dental students and residents an opportunity to provide oral health care for adults who were frail and medically compromised who could not come into the clinics, (2) to increase students' access to patients who needed removable prosthodontics, and (3) to fulfill Pacific's commitment to public service. Laguna Honda and Pacific pooled their resources to bring comprehensive dental care to patients who were not able to access the dental school clinics. The long-term goals are to restore and maintain the oral health of those who reside in the facility, and to educate future dentists to provide oral health care for similar populations.
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