Watters Amber L, Stabulas-Savage Jeanine, Toppin James D, Janal Malvin N, Robbins Miriam R
Dr. Watters is Clinical Assistant Professor, Special Needs Clinic, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology, and Medicine, New York University College of Dentistry, and Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Clinic, Providence Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR; Prof. Stabulas-Savage is Clinical Assistant Professor, Special Needs Clinic, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology, and Medicine, New York University College of Dentistry; Dr. Toppin is Clinical Assistant Professor, Special Needs Clinic, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology, and Medicine, New York University College of Dentistry and Director of Dental Services, Damian Family Care Centers, Queens, NY; Dr. Janal is Senior Research Scientist and Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, New York University College of Dentistry; and Dr. Robbins is Clinical Associate Professor, Special Needs Clinic, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology, and Medicine, New York University College of Dentistry.
J Dent Educ. 2015 Sep;79(9):1016-23.
The New York University College of Dentistry has introduced a clinical rotation for fourth-year dental students that focuses on treating people with special health care needs (PSN). The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that clinical experience in treating patients with special health care needs during predoctoral education is associated with increased self-assessed student ability and comfort and therefore self-efficacy. The study also investigated whether other characteristics, such as prior personal or volunteer experience with this population, service-mindedness, and/or the inclination to treat underserved populations, were associated with comfort in treating PSN. A survey was used to assess changes in students' perceived knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes regarding treating PSN before and after the clinical experience for July 2012-June 2013. The survey included questions about students' service-mindedness, comfort, perceptions of abilities of PSN and educational importance of learning to treat PSN, desire for clinical experience, and future intent or interest in treating PSN. Out of 364 students invited to participate, 127 surveys were returned, for a response rate of 34.9%. The results showed statistically significant increases on six items following training: impressions about the importance of oral health among PSN, comfort in treating people with cognitive disabilities and with medical complexities, intent to treat PSN in future practice, interest in including PSN in postgraduate training, and belief that PSN could be treated in the private practice setting. These students reported preferring to learn in the clinical setting over didactic instruction. This clinical experience was associated with improved self-efficacy in treating PSN and increased intentions to treat this population in future practice. Improvements were particularly evident among those with the least prior experience with PSN and were independent of other aspects of the students' past experience, future goals, or personality characteristics.
纽约大学牙科学院为牙科四年级学生引入了一项临床轮转项目，该项目专注于治疗有特殊医疗需求的人群（PSN）。本研究的目的是调查以下假设：在博士前教育期间治疗有特殊医疗需求患者的临床经验与学生自我评估能力、舒适度的提高相关，进而与自我效能感相关。该研究还调查了其他特征，如之前与该人群的个人或志愿者经历、服务意识和/或治疗服务不足人群的倾向，是否与治疗PSN的舒适度相关。通过一项调查来评估2012年7月至2013年6月临床经验前后学生对治疗PSN的认知、信念和态度的变化。该调查包括有关学生服务意识、舒适度、对PSN能力的认知以及学习治疗PSN的教育重要性、对临床经验的渴望以及未来治疗PSN的意图或兴趣等问题。在受邀参与的364名学生中，有127份调查问卷被收回，回复率为34.9%。结果显示，培训后有六个项目在统计学上有显著提高：对PSN中口腔健康重要性的印象、治疗认知障碍和有医疗复杂性患者的舒适度、未来实践中治疗PSN的意图、将PSN纳入研究生培训的兴趣，以及认为PSN可在私人诊所环境中治疗的信念。这些学生表示更喜欢在临床环境中学习而非理论教学。这种临床经验与治疗PSN的自我效能感提高以及未来实践中治疗该人群的意愿增加相关。在之前与PSN经验最少的学生中，改善尤为明显，且与学生过去经验、未来目标或个性特征的其他方面无关。
