Joury E
Oral Medicine Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Centre for Oral Growth and Development, Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.
Eur J Dent Educ. 2016 Feb;20(1):39-44. doi: 10.1111/eje.12140. Epub 2015 Feb 3.
This study aimed to describe the development and evaluation of an outreach dental public health (DPH) programme in Damascus University, in terms of developing undergraduates' required knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA), improving the quality aspects of training and assessment (T&A), and achieving the satisfaction of served children and their social network.
The outreach DPH programme offered opportunities to undergraduates to carry out outreach health-promotion activities, conduct and communicate the results of applied DPH research, and build partnership with students in other higher education sectors. A cross-sectional evaluation collected mixed qualitative and quantitative data, by a means of a short-essay and a self-completed questionnaire, from 400 third-year dental undergraduates, on KSA gained from outreach activities and quality aspects of T&A. The latter were compared with corresponding figures of other traditional dental programmes (TDP). Satisfaction with the outreach activities were collected from 215 children with special needs and 130 parents and school staff, by questionnaires.
The response rates were 74.8%, 100% and 100% for undergraduates, children and parents/school staff, respectively. The derived categories of students' gained KSA included the following: unique clinical skills, social responsibility, voluntarism, communication, team working, personal growth, reflection on career aspirations and self-satisfaction with the contribution to needy groups. Their satisfaction with quality aspects of T&A was significantly higher than TDP (P < 0.001). Children's and parents/school staff's satisfaction was high.
The outreach DPH programme in Damascus University is a successful example of developing undergraduates' required KSA, improving the quality aspects of T&A, and achieving the satisfaction of served community.
本研究旨在描述大马士革大学的一项外展口腔公共卫生（DPH）项目的开展与评估情况，内容涉及培养本科生所需的知识、技能和态度（KSA），提升培训与评估（T&A）的质量方面，以及实现服务儿童及其社交网络的满意度。
外展DPH项目为本科生提供了开展外展健康促进活动、进行并交流应用DPH研究结果以及与其他高等教育部门的学生建立合作关系的机会。一项横断面评估通过短文和自填问卷的方式，从400名牙科专业三年级本科生中收集了关于从外展活动中获得的KSA以及T&A质量方面的定性和定量混合数据。将后者与其他传统牙科项目（TDP）的相应数据进行比较。通过问卷调查从215名有特殊需求的儿童以及130名家长和学校工作人员中收集对外展活动的满意度。
本科生、儿童以及家长/学校工作人员的回复率分别为74.8%、100%和100%。学生获得的KSA的衍生类别包括：独特的临床技能、社会责任、志愿服务、沟通、团队合作、个人成长、对职业抱负的反思以及对为贫困群体做出贡献的自我满足感。他们对T&A质量方面的满意度显著高于TDP（P < 0.001）。儿童以及家长/学校工作人员的满意度较高。
大马士革大学的外展DPH项目是培养本科生所需KSA、提升T&A质量方面以及实现服务社区满意度的成功范例。
