Patient and clinician satisfaction with video consultations in dentistry - part two: clinician satisfaction

Acceptability of teledentistry use among residents and staff in aged residential care facilities in the Otago region of New Zealand

OBJECTIVES

To assess ARC residents' and staff perceptions of the benefits of, and comfort with, teledentistry use in ARC facilities in the Otago region of NZ, and identify end-user-level factors associated with its use.

BACKGROUND

Difficulty in accessing oral healthcare services is a key barrier to aged residential care (ARC) residents' oral health and well-being. Teledentistry offers a possible solution, yet studies on its acceptability in ARCs are sparse, especially in New Zealand (NZ). This study assessed ARC residents' and staff perceptions of the benefits of, and comfort with, teledentistry use in ARC facilities in the Otago region of NZ and identified end-user-level factors associated with its use.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rest home-level residents and care staff in ARC facilities in the Otago region of NZ were surveyed to assess their awareness of teledentistry, perceptions of benefit and comfort using teledentistry, and end-user-level factors associated with the feasibility of using it in ARCs.

RESULTS

One hundred residents and 77 care staff from 14 facilities participated. Three-quarters of resident participants thought that teledentistry was beneficial. Three in five resident participants were comfortable receiving remote dental consultations and care advice through teledentistry. Acceptability, as measured by perceived benefits and comfort, was lower among older participants. Staff participants were receptive to teledentistry use for residents and were comfortable facilitating remote dental consultations and care through teledentistry. No staff participants disagreed with the potential benefits of teledentistry for ARC residents.

CONCLUSION

Teledentistry would likely be acceptable to residents and staff in ARC facilities in NZ, contributing to residents' improved access to oral health care and improved oral health and well-being.

Parent perceptions regarding virtual pediatric dental clinics during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Objective

To assess the attitudes and responses of parents of pediatric patients towards virtual dental clinics during COVID-19.

Material and Method

A total of 102 parents of pediatric patients who were scheduled for virtual (video or telephonic) clinic appointments for new patient consultations and follow-up clinics were included in the study. Parents and patients could attend the virtual clinic from a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone. An electronic self-administered questionnaire was sent to the parents through email after consultation (video or telephonic) which consisted of demographic data and a ten-item, five-point Likert-scale assessing: (i) parent satisfaction; (ii) ease of use; (iii) the effectiveness including increasing access to clinical services; (iv) reliability of the teledentistry system and (v) usefulness for patients. Statistical analyses used were t-test, one-way ANOVA test, Shapiro-Wilk and histogram.

Result

Out of 102 parents, 52 attended video clinics and 50 attended the telephonic clinic. The majority of the parents were between 30-39 years of age, and about 73% had no previous experience with either virtual or telephonic consultation. Ninety-four percent of parents were satisfied with vide clinic consultation, and most of them agreed that accessing clinical services through a video clinic was easy to understand, comfortable, and time-saving. The majority of the parents (94%) agreed and strongly agreed that they will use video clinics again in the future for consultation.

Conclusion

Parents' response to the use of virtual clinics for pediatric dentistry during COVID was positive. The majority of the parents stated that they would consider using teledentistry for future consultation.

Patient's and Practionner's Experiences of a First Face-to-Face vs. Remote Orthodontic Consultation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

(1) Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess patients' and practitioners' reported experience measures (PREMs) following a first standard orthodontic consultation (face-to-face consultation) versus a first orthodontic teleconsultation (video-assisted remote orthodontic consultation).; (2) Materials and Methods: This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial in which 60 patients were randomly allocated to two groups. In the control group, patients received a first face-to-face consultation (n = 30) whereas, in the test group, patients received a first orthodontic teleconsultation (n = 30). Patients as well as the orthodontic practitioners completed questionnaires after the experience. (3) Results: From the patients' point of view, overall satisfaction was comparable between the control group and the test group (p = 0.23). Quality of communication with the clinician, understanding of the explanations provided and a sense of privacy were also comparable between the two groups. However, from the practitioners' perspective, overall satisfaction after the face-to-face consultation was significantly higher than after the first remote consultation (p < 0.01). (4) Conclusions: In the context of a first orthodontic consultation, teleorthodontics appears to be an interesting and complementary approach to a classical face-to-face appointment, but which should by no means become systematic.

Evaluation of Social Media Usage by Dental Practitioners of Pakistan for Professional Purposes - A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

In the past couple of years, the use of social media has been on a tremendous rise with greater attention in the field of healthcare, including dentistry. The use of social media for professional purposes is emphasized as unprofessional use can be detrimental. This study aims to evaluate the use of social media by dentists for professional purposes.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out between December 2021 and March 2022. An online questionnaire was formulated using Google Forms and distributed to the dental professionals through various social media platforms such as Twitter©, Facebook©, Instagram©, Snapchat©, WhatsApp©, and Email©. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: demographic characteristics and questions about the use of social media for professional purposes. For data analysis, SPSS version 25.0 was used, where a multiple linear regression test was used to compare the responses of the participants with their demographic characteristics. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results

A total of 404 dentists participated in this study with a response rate of 89.7%. The majority of the 276 (68.3%) dentists believed to have a professional account to use social media for professional purposes. Most of the 280 (69.3%) dentists agreed social media improved knowledge and communication skills with the patients. About 248 (61.4%) dentists considered the use of social media for general purposes during clinical hours led to wastage of time. About 160 (39.6%) dentists considered connecting with patients on social media to be inappropriate.

Conclusion

The use of social media is on the rise at a tremendous rate in different fields of work, including dentistry. Social media is a great tool for dentists to help expand and grow their clinical practice. However, the professional use and ethics whilst using social media should be considered by the dentists.

Oral cancer diagnosis amid COVID-19 pandemic: Identifying tell-tale signs to avoid pitfalls in general dental practice

This article details the unusual presentation of an oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) referred to secondary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The patient's chief complaints were trismus and pain from a lower left partially erupted third molar, which was assumed to be pericoronitis-related on referral. Intra-oral examination was difficult due to the patient's symptoms, but radiographic assessment of an orthopantomogram (OPG) showed a pathological fracture and poorly defined radiolucency in the lower left third molar region. Oral SCC was diagnosed after biopsy, and surgery and radiotherapy were swiftly carried out despite COVID-19 restrictions. General dental practitioners (GDPs) remain the frontline healthcare professionals in the screening and detection of oral cancer through detailed history taking and examinations. Primary care dental practitioners should always remain vigilant with patients at risk of oral cancer. Prompt referral to secondary care for further investigations and management should be made when a suspicion of oral malignancy is raised, to ensure a better treatment outcome. Video consultations have had their merits in dentistry amid the coronavirus pandemic, but face-to-face consultations are essential to establish quality patient care.

Virtual consultations for oral surgery patients

Background

Following Covid-19, many departments have incorporated teledentistry into practice. As new consultation methods are introduced, it’s imperative that patients have as similar an experience with virtual consultations to ensure informed decision-making. This project evaluated patients' perceptions of video consultations and determined if patients seen virtually received the same standard of information by auditing compliance with sending patient information leaflets (PILs) following video consultation.

Method

The department’s PILs were used to create an inclusion list for patients requiring a PIL. A retrospective audit assessed the notes of 100 video consultations for records of if PILs were sent and by what method. The department’s PILs were digitalised and a clinical mailbox introduced enabling clinicians to email patients a PIL hyperlink. The audit was repeated for 88 video consultations. Patient and staff feedback was gathered via online surveys.

Results

Initially, 51% of cases met the criteria requiring a PIL and 16% of patients were sent PILs. Following mailbox introduction, 53% of cases met the criteria and 94% were sent PILs, 100% via email. Patient and staff feedback was positive regarding video consultations and digital PILS. Technical difficulties were reported in 44% of cases.

Conclusions

Patients perceive virtual consultations to be a positive change and the introduction of a mailbox enhances video consultations in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Patient information can be standardised, via digital PILs, regardless of consultation type. As departments implement post-pandemic changes, utilisation of a mailbox can provide multiple improvements to care.