A 3-year quantitative evaluation of interprofessional team-based clinical education at an Australian dental school

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

Clinical educational challenges led to the Griffith University School of Dentistry and Oral Health (DOH) introducing interprofessional team-based treatment planning (TBTP). This paper evaluates the interprofessional contribution made to student clinical learning and experience among dentistry, oral health therapy, dental prosthetics, and dental technology students.

METHODS

A mixed methodology approach targeting 845 students collected data annually employing a prevalidated online instrument from 2012 to 2014 to answer the question: "What is the contribution of interprofessional student team-based processes on students' perceptions of interprofessional practice at DOH?"

RESULTS

A representative study sample with a 64.4% response rate (N = 544) reported TBTP creating a supportive environment for interprofessional clinical learning. Significant improvements in learning shared across disciplines indicated improvements in mutual respect, understanding roles, and constructive communication enhancing teamwork. There were increasing significant correlations between shared learning and positive clinical experiences from 2012 (r = .642, p < .000) to 2013 (r = .678, p < .000) and 2014 (r = .719, p < .000). A combination of TBTP predictors accounted for 53% of the variance in clinical learning and experience in 2014 compared to 40% in 2012.

CONCLUSION

Learning with other students, developing teamwork abilities, improved communication skills, and respect for other oral health professions were aspects of TBTP that positively impacted clinical learning and practice at DOH. Further study would assist to determine specific elements that made the greatest contribution to student learning experiences.

Impact of Collaborative Leadership in Dental School Team Clinics

Dental students' ability to critique team performance in dental school team clinics is a key component of dental education. The aim of this study was to determine if students' perceptions of their team leaders' openness of communication, cooperative decision making, and well-defined goals were positively related to the students' improvement-oriented voice behavior and willingness to raise concerns in the clinical environment. This study used a voluntary 12-question survey, distributed via email to all 311 students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine after completion of the spring 2017 semester. Eighty-seven students responded, for a response rate of 28%. Responses were stratified by team, class year, and gender, and the quantitative distribution of answers to each question was correlated with each other. Team leader collaborative qualities, which included openness for communication, cooperative decision making, and well-defined goals, were found to have a significant positive relationship with students' willingness to both raise concerns and make suggestions. Additionally, when measured by class year and gender, team differences in voice behavior assessment by students across the teams were found to be independent of class year, and no significant differences were found by gender. These results suggested that, to maintain high levels of communication, proper reporting of concerns, and a high standard of care, dental schools should encourage team leaders to enhance their capacity to present active collaborative behaviors in the school's clinic. The study also highlighted potential opportunities for further study of faculty traits and development in the dental school team model.

Self-perceived work preparedness of the graduating dental students

OBJECTIVES

The primary goal of dental education is to prepare students to work independently in a dental practice setting following graduation. Whilst academicians assess students' work preparedness through examinations and evaluations, it is equally important to understand the work preparedness as perceived by students.

METHODS

All students in their final year of the graduate programme in dentistry were selected for this study. The questionnaire assessed the self-perceived confidence in skills and awareness needed to integrate into a general dental practice. Personal data such as gender, age and income status were optionally recorded. The questionnaire included open-ended questions relevant to the educational experiences and suggestions for improvement from student perspective.

RESULTS

Sixty-three students (81.9%) responded to the questionnaire. The majority of the respondents (85.7%) perceived that their education had prepared them well for a career in dentistry, and 52.4% of the students considered that the combination of community placement and in-house training helped them to enhance clinical skills. Students' suggestion for improvements indicated that a large number would wish for more clinical sessions (71.4%), whilst only 28.6% preferred an equal distribution between general clinical placements, speciality clinical placement and didactic teaching as the essential factors in attaining competency.

CONCLUSIONS

Analysing and understanding the student's self-perspective on their dental education and work preparedness contribute towards the quality management of the dental curriculum philosophies: in holistic patient health care, lifelong learning, integration knowledge and skills, leading to the ultimate goal of clinical proficiency.