Patient-Centred Care in Dentistry: Definitions and Models - Commentary

Patient Experience and Expectations in Oral Health Care: A Nation-Wide Survey

AIM

This research was conducted to understand patients' dental visit habits and behaviours and to identify factors contributing to a positive patient experience at the dental office in Canada METHODS: An online survey was distributed to members of a market research panel in the United States. Qualifying panellists were 25 years of age or older who visited a dentist in the past year. Survey questions were related to frequency of dental visits, patient satisfaction with the dental office, importance of dental office attributes and dental product recommendation expectations.

RESULTS

There were 400 respondents, all from USA, with a mean age of 51 years; 54% were female and 46% were male. Overall, 74% had a college or post-graduate degree. The average number of dental visits per patient per year was 2.1. Fifty percent had been going to the same practice for more than 2 years. 84% of panellists indicated satisfaction with their dental office, which was driven by attributes related to good customer service and quality dental care/services. Factors rated as contributing to patient trust included: offering good services; polite and friendly behaviour; affordable cost; and clear and honest communication. Attributes rated as being most important for a dental practice included: valuing their time; not seeing them as just a patient; gentle dental team; and improving their oral health. Overall, 55% of respondents indicated they expect recommendations for specific brands to treat specific oral care issues.

CONCLUSION

Patients are seeking a more personal connection with their dental office and are interested in receiving information about their oral care habits. Including personalised self-care recommendations as part of every dental treatment plan will address these needs and motivate patients to engage in their oral health care. Education, communication and building personal connections are keys to establish a positive patient experience.

Scale development to measure the patient perception of patient-centered care of dentists in primary care settings of Thailand: a measurement invariance test

BACKGROUND

Patient-centered care is essential for providing quality services thoroughly at the primary care level, but it is unclear and lacks measurement. This study aimed to develop a reliable and valid instrument to measure patient perception of patient-centered care in primary dental care in Thailand and test the measurement invariance between large and small community hospitals.

METHODS

The initial set of 45 items for the patient perception of Patient-Centered Care of Dentist Scale (PCCDS-P version) was developed using a mixed-method approach, which included a literature review, a content validity test, cognitive interviews, and a pre-test. A multistage sampling strategy was used to recruit dental patients or their parents or caregivers from community hospitals across Thailand. Validity was examined through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient. Furthermore, a multi-group analysis was conducted to compare the responses of patients from large and small community hospitals.

RESULTS

Three hundred thirty-six and One thousand one hundred sixty-seven samples were randomized for EFA and CFA, respectively. The final PCCDS-P version consists of 7 factors with satisfactory reliability and validity and is composed of 42 items: dentist-patient relationship, disease-illness, integrated care, communication, shared information and decision-making, holistic, and empathy and anxiety management. The CFA showed the model fit was consistent with the entire sample. The metric invariance analysis showed that the factor loadings were invariant across patient groups. Overall, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient were satisfactory.

CONCLUSIONS

The newly developed PCCDS-P version is composed of seven domains with 42 items with good reliability and validity, and it indicated measurement invariance across patients in large and small community hospitals.