Participation in continuing professional development by dental practitioners in Victoria, Australia in 2007

Evidence for continuing professional development standards for regulated health practitioners in Australia: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Health practitioner regulators throughout the world use continuing professional development (CPD) standards to ensure that registrants maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge, expertise and competence. As the CPD standard for most regulated health professions in Australia are currently under review, it is timely that an appraisal of the evidence be undertaken.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted using major databases (including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and CINAHL), search engines and grey literature for evidence published between 2015 and April 2022. Publications included in the review were assessed against the relevant CASP checklist for quantitative studies and the McMaster University checklist for qualitative studies.

RESULTS

The search yielded 87 abstracts of which 37 full-text articles met the inclusion criteria. The evidence showed that mandatory CPD requirements are a strong motivational factor for their completion and improves practitioners' knowledge and behaviour. CPD that is more interactive is most effective and e-learning is as effective as face-to-face CPD. There is no direct evidence to suggest the optimal quantity of CPD, although there was some evidence that complex or infrequently used skills deteriorate between 4 months to a year after training, depending on the task.

CONCLUSIONS

CPD is most effective when it is interactive, uses a variety of methods and is delivered in a sequence involving multiple exposures over a period of time that is focused on outcomes considered important by practitioners. Although there is no optimal quantity of CPD, there is evidence that complex skills may require more frequent CPD.

Participants' assessments of the continuing educational program with the delivery mode of a periodontal alliance

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of the periodontal continuing educational delivery mode via a periodontal alliance.

METHODS

An innovative continuing educational delivery mode via a periodontal alliance has been conducted using a periodontal alliance of 30 hospitals in 18 provinces of China. This delivery mode integrates several instructional methods, including lectures, case presentations, and interactive question and answer sessions, all of which were conducted through online platforms. The effectiveness of the mode was evaluated via a questionnaire that was administered to the participants. The questionnaire consisted of 13 closed-ended questions and 2 open-ended questions.

RESULTS

Of the 450 participants, 343 (76%) returned the questionnaire. Of the returned surveys, more than 92% provided positive feedback regarding the instructional methods of the program, stating that the techniques helped them study more efficiently and saved them time and money. More than 85% of the participants were satisfied with the instructional content and more than 90% of the participants considered the educational value of the program to be high, as it helped them identify gaps in knowledge, promoted their ability to establish treatment plans, and encouraged them to network with one another and thereby establish a supportive environment. With respect to the responses to the open-ended questions, the participants claimed that the most useful aspects of the program were related to time and cost savings. The most frequent feedback with respect to improving the program was to include hands-on courses and to divide the program into different levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The participants responded positively to the program. The periodontal alliance delivery mode was determined to be an effective way to improve the quality of continuing dental education.

Dental Hygienists' and Dentists' Tobacco Cessation Continuing Education Preferences: Application of a Discrete Choice Method

Despite ample opportunity, dental professionals frequently fall short of connecting tobacco-using patients with effective cessation support, often citing lack of training as a barrier. To inform development of training options, the aim of this study was to quantify the preferences of practicing dental hygienists and dentists in California for continuing dental education (CDE) offerings related to tobacco and patient tobacco cessation. Two statewide surveys of California dental hygienists and dentists were conducted. In addition to providing their own and their practice characteristics, in a discrete choice experiment, participants indicated their preferences between pairs of randomly generated hypothetical tobacco cessation CDE offerings that differed in topic, cost, delivery modality, and duration. Ultimately, 641 dental hygienists (20.5% of the total invited minus those with undeliverable emails, n=3,129) and 654 dentists (8.5% of the total invited minus those with undeliverable emails, n=7,669) responded to at least one of the discrete choice items, and their responses were analyzed. The results showed that each CDE attribute was independently associated with preference. Cost and topic were more strongly associated with preference than were delivery modality and duration. Lower cost, shorter duration courses were generally favored. Alternative tobacco products and patient communication were the most popular topics for participating dental hygienists and dentists, respectively. CDE preferences differed according to participant characteristics: live webinars were the least preferred modality for more experienced dental professionals, and shorter courses were not preferred by dentists in non-urban locations. These findings showed that these dental professionals considered multiple attributes in selecting CDE courses. To reach the broadest audience, CDE providers should offer low-cost options across a range of delivery modalities, such as full-day workshops in rural areas and online webinars for earlier career professionals.

Demographics, Practising Arrangements, and Standards: Survey among New Zealand Dentists

BACKGROUND

To determine the demographic profile and practising arrangements of general dentists in New Zealand.

METHODS

A questionnaire comprising 19 sections with 125 questions was distributed via mail to 351 general dentists in New Zealand who were selected, at random, from the Dental Council of New Zealand's 2016 register.

RESULTS

Two hundred and four questionnaires were returned, of which 188 were usable giving a response rate of 53.5%. The majority of the respondents (63.5%) were male and practice principals (56.8%). Fifty-nine percent of the practices were located in city or town centres with a wide geographic distribution. Sole practitioners accounted for 24.1% of respondents, with the mean number of dentists per practice being 3.2. The majority of respondents (71.6%) attended five or more continuing professional development courses in the past year. Ninety-one percent of respondents used a computerized management system, and 95.3% used the Internet. The use of nickel-titanium endodontic files (83.9%) and digital imaging (82.2%) was the most frequently cited clinical innovations. Articaine was the most popular local anaesthetic of choice.

CONCLUSIONS

Dentistry is an ever-changing profession, with evidence that NZ dentists continue to develop, learn, and embrace advancements in technologies to supply high-quality evidence-based treatment.

Reasons for and Barriers to Attending Continuing Education Activities and Priorities for Different Dental Specialties

BACKGROUND

Continuing education (CE) activities help dentists update their knowledge and skills to ensure high standards of patient care.

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate the reasons for and barriers to attending CE activities including the priorities for different dental specialities.

METHODS

The study involves a cross-sectional research design. After statistical consultation, a questionnaire was distributed among 323 dental practitioners in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was checked for face and content validity, and it was pilot-tested before its administration.

RESULTS

The response rate was 79.5% as 257 of 323 dentists returned the questionnaire. Most dentists reported that they attended CE activities because of personal learning needs (67.3%) and career development (66.9%). Lack of clinical experience to effectively manage patients and the practice was the least common (15.2%) reason for attending CE activities. Esthetic dentistry (77.4%), restorative dentistry (70.8%), and endodontics (70%) were the three most preferred dental specialities for CE activities. Lack of time was the most common (69.3%) barrier to attending CE activities followed by the cost (62.6%) and the distance (57.2%). More male (n = 104) than female (n = 69) dentists believed personal learning needs a reason for attending CE activities (P = 0.01). Similarly, more male (n = 104) than female dentists (n = 68) considered lack of time a barrier (P = 0.046).

CONCLUSION

Most dentists attended CE activities to fulfil their personal learning needs, and aesthetic dentistry was the most preferred dental speciality for CE activities. Lack of time and cost were important barriers to attending CE activities.

Development and evaluation of online education to increase the forensic relevance of oral health records

BACKGROUND

Human identification can be reliably established by dental comparison; success is significantly impacted by inadequate ante-mortem information. Previous Australian research revealed suboptimal recording of features important for forensic dental identification and compliance with Dental Board of Australia guidelines. We hence created and evaluated an online education programme aimed at improving oral health practitioner recording.

METHODS

An interactive learning module (ILM) was constructed and released to three focus groups representing practitioners with varying experience levels: Australian Society of Forensic Odontology members, third year dental students and the wider dental community. Pre- and post-participation perceptions were recorded, with percentage, mean, broad agreement, standard deviation and statistical significance between responses determined.

RESULTS

Improved recognition of importance of record keeping, knowledge, confidence, skill and motivation to learn was seen following ILM interaction. This was particularly significant for students, participants with 3-5 years of experience in their current occupation and those whose highest level of education was achieved in Australia.

CONCLUSIONS

The ILM increased self-reported awareness, understanding and attitude of participants with different levels of case note recording experience; this can improve recording practises and aid forensic dental identification if utilized in undergraduate teaching and as a continuing professional development tool for dental practitioners.

Keeping up with Dental Literature: A Study on Continuing Professional Development among Dental Practitioners in Hubli-Dharwad, India

INTRODUCTION

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. In India, very few studies have been documented to discover the patterns of information update by dental practitioners.

AIM

To discover the educational tools that dentists of Hubli - Dharwad, Karnataka, India, prefer for updating their knowledge on new therapeutic methods and to assess the perceived usefulness of these CPD activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Face to face interview was carried out using questionnaire comprising questions on various CPD activities among all the practicing dentists. Pearson's chi-square test was used to evaluate any association between the frequency of information update and perceived usefulness with gender, qualification, practice types and academic attachments.

RESULTS

Out of 112 practicing dentists in Hubli-Dharwad, 104 consented for the study. Mean age group of the study population was 32.3±7.56 (SD) years. Discussion with colleagues and discussion with medical sales representatives were the most frequently utilized information sources. On the other hand, attending dental fairs was found to be the most rarely utilized method of information access. Discussion with colleagues, reading textbooks and accessing internet were rated as most useful CPD activities and discussion with sales representatives and attending dental fairs were rated as least useful CPD activities.

CONCLUSION

Both conventional methods of information sources like discussions with colleagues and textbook reading as well as contemporary information sources like accessing internet were the preferred methods of information update by dental practitioners of Hubli-Dharwad.

Radiation Therapists’ and Diagnostic Radiographers’ participation in continuing professional development and knowledge of Regulatory Body Registration

Background

Irish healthcare has seen radical reforms in recent years. Regulatory Body Registration was introduced to improve patient care and regulate professionals. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a requirement of registration. Professionals need to keep up-to-date with new techniques and technologies while maintaining their skills.

Purpose

This research assessed the factors affecting CPD participation in Radiation Therapists and Diagnostic Radiographers and their knowledge and attitudes towards Regulatory Body Registration.

Materials and methods

Online surveys were designed and made available on the Irish Institute of Radiography and Radiation Therapy (IIRRT) Website for IIRRT members. The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and χ2 tests in a statistical computer programme.

Results

Personal development, time, cost and staff shortages negatively affect CPD participation. Reflective practise is not a barrier to CPD. Knowledge and attitudes to Regulatory Body Registration varied.

Conclusion

CPD must be developed in Radiation Therapy and Diagnostic Radiography. Funding, time and increased staffing could result in effective implementation of CPD. Regulatory Body Registration has been communicated but more information regarding the process is required.

US and international health professions' requirements for continuing professional development

There is not a comprehensive global analysis of continuing professional development (CPD) and continuing education (CE) in the major health professions in published literature. The aim of this article is to summarize findings from the US and international literature on CPD and CE practices in the health professions, comparing the different requirements and frameworks to see what similarities and challenges exist and what the future focus should be for the pharmacy profession. A literature review was conducted on CPD and CE in selected health professions, namely pharmacy, medicine, nursing, ophthalmology, dentistry, public health, and psychology. Over 300 papers from the health professions were retrieved and screened. Relevant articles based on the abstracts and introductions were summarized into tabular form by profession, minimum requirements for licensure, nature of credits, guidelines on how to record CE and CPD activities, and specific CE and CPD definitions. Wide variations exist among the health professions. Lessons learned from this information can be used to further clarify and define the role of CE and CPD and self-directed lifelong learning in pharmacy and the health professions.

A review of continuing professional development for dentists in Europe(*)

AIM

  To summarise findings from a literature review of dentists' engagement in continuing professional development (CPD) and its effects on improving oral health care for patients.

METHOD

  The search strategy used key terms in a range of databases and an academic literature search engine, complemented by hand searching and citation follow-up.

RESULTS

  One hundred and fourteen papers were reviewed. The majority of dentists engaged in CPD. Factors affecting participation included time since graduation, costs, work and home commitments, postgraduate qualification, interest and convenience. Learning needs identification and reflection on practice were rarely evidenced. Common modes of CPD were courses and journal reading; no one delivery method proved more effective. Few papers directly explored recommendations for topics although suggestions related to common areas of error and gaps in knowledge or skill. Studies of CPD effectiveness and impact-on-practice suggested that courses can result in widespread new learning and considerable self-reported change in practice. However, significant barriers to implementing change in workplace practice were noted and included availability of materials, resources and support from colleagues.

CONCLUSION

  To ensure high standards of care, alongside recommending core or mandatory topics, more attention should be given to reflection on learning needs, the learner's readiness to engage with education and training and the influence of the workplace environment.

A review of continuing professional development for dentists in Europe

AIM

To summarise findings from a literature review of dentists' engagement in continuing professional development (CPD) and its effects on improving oral health care for patients.

METHOD

The search strategy used key terms in a range of databases and an academic literature search engine, complemented by hand searching and citation follow-up.

RESULTS

One hundred and fourteen papers were reviewed. The majority of dentists engaged in CPD. Factors affecting participation included time since graduation, costs, work and home commitments, postgraduate qualification, interest and convenience. Learning needs identification and reflection on practice were rarely evidenced. Common modes of CPD were courses and journal reading; no one delivery method proved more effective. Few papers directly explored recommendations for topics although suggestions related to common areas of error and gaps in knowledge or skill. Studies of CPD effectiveness and impact-on-practice suggested that courses can result in widespread new learning and considerable self-reported change in practice. However, significant barriers to implementing change in workplace practice were noted and included availability of materials, resources and support from colleagues.

CONCLUSION

To ensure high standards of care, alongside recommending core or mandatory topics, more attention should be given to reflection on learning needs, the learner's readiness to engage with education and training and the influence of the workplace environment.

Dentists' perceptions of a new local anaesthetic drug--articaine

BACKGROUND

Articaine is a new local anaesthetic drug introduced to the Australian dental market. The aim of this study was to elicit information regarding the use of articaine in Australia, and factors that influence attitudes towards adoption of new technology.

METHODS

A self-administered postal questionnaire was sent to a stratified systematic sample of dentists who were members of the Australian Dental Association, with questions regarding details about articaine use and how influences such as education and scientific literature affect their adoption of new technology.

RESULTS

Of the sample, 53% responded and over 70% of dentists surveyed used articaine, with 95% and 97% of respondents identifying scientific literature and continuing professional development courses respectively as influencing factors in their adoption of new technology. The most common reason for not using articaine was no perceived advantage and the most influential factor that would encourage non-users to start using articaine was a scientifically proven advantage. Senior clinicians, specialists and public sector dentists were less likely to use articaine.

CONCLUSIONS

A majority of Australian dentists were using articaine and cited continuing professional development courses, scientific literature and anecdotal peer reports as being influential in their adoption of new technology.