Flynn Priscilla M, Luthra Makshita, Blue Christine M
Dr. Flynn is Assistant Professor, Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry; Dr. Luthra is a graduate student, Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health; and Dr. Blue is Associate Professor and Director, Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry.
J Dent Educ. 2017 Feb;81(2):162-168.
Dental therapy was recently introduced as a new oral health care workforce model to increase care for vulnerable populations in Minnesota. Nine dental therapy and 98 dental students began intraprofessional training at the University of Minnesota in 2009. The aim of this longitudinal study was to determine whether intraprofessional education with the dental therapy students would affect the dental students' attitudes toward caring for underserved populations. One class of dental students was surveyed annually between 2009 and 2013 using the Attitudes Toward Health Care survey to measure attitudinal changes about treating vulnerable patients across their four years of dental school. Participation ranged from 68% to 99% in each year. The results showed that the dental students had positive attitudes toward treating vulnerable patients on entering dental school, but their attitudes became less positive over the four years. While the composite survey results were similar to other studies using the same instrument, variations were seen by domain. These students' attitudes about societal expectations and personal efficacy remained stable, while their dentist/student responsibility and access to care attitudes showed statistically significant declines. Their positive attitudes toward treating the underserved declined over four years regardless of intraprofessional training with dental therapy students. As attitudes toward caring for vulnerable patients are shaped by both personal attitudes and societal norms, additional research is needed to determine whether the addition of an intentional curricular thread may alter results over time compared to intraprofessional training alone.
牙科治疗师作为一种新的口腔卫生保健劳动力模式最近被引入，以增加明尼苏达州弱势群体的医疗服务。2009年，9名牙科治疗师学生和98名牙科专业学生开始在明尼苏达大学接受跨专业培训。这项纵向研究的目的是确定与牙科治疗师学生的跨专业教育是否会影响牙科专业学生对为服务不足人群提供护理的态度。2009年至2013年期间，每年对一届牙科专业学生进行调查，使用《对医疗保健的态度》调查问卷来衡量他们在牙科学习的四年中对治疗弱势患者态度的变化。每年的参与率在68%至99%之间。结果表明，牙科专业学生在进入牙科学院时对治疗弱势患者持积极态度，但在四年中他们的态度变得不那么积极了。虽然综合调查结果与使用相同工具的其他研究相似，但在不同领域存在差异。这些学生对社会期望和个人效能的态度保持稳定，而他们对牙医/学生责任和获得护理态度的看法在统计学上有显著下降。无论是否与牙科治疗师学生进行跨专业培训，他们对治疗服务不足人群的积极态度在四年中都有所下降。由于对弱势患者护理的态度是由个人态度和社会规范共同塑造的，因此需要进一步研究以确定与仅进行跨专业培训相比，增加一条有意设置的课程主线是否会随着时间的推移改变结果。
