Preventive Dental Sciences Department, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Restorative Dental Sciences Department, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
PLoS One. 2020 Oct 15;15(10):e0240825. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240825. eCollection 2020.
Teledentistry is believed to improve dentalcare provided to patients and time management efficiency. In addition, teledentistry can be a useful tool for peer education, consultations and ensures proper channeling for referrals.
This study aimed to explore Saudi Arabian dental professionals' perceptions of teledentistry's benefits in improving dental practice and patient care.
A descriptive cross-sectional study involving an electronic survey of a sample of Saudi Arabian dental professionals. A validated 26-item, 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire was used to assess perceptions of dental professionals in four domains: usefulness of teledentistry for patients, the usefulness of teledentistry for dental practice; the potential of teledentistry to improve practice; and existing concerns about the use of teledentistry. Statistical analyses involved descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis using SPSS software. Significant differences were considered at a p-value of 0.05.
With an overall response rate of 28.6%, 286 dental professionals participated in the study. More than 70% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that teledentistry would improve dental practice through enhancing communication with peers, guidance and referral of new patients. A substantial proportion of respondents (60-70%) expressed uncertainty with technical reliability, privacy and diagnostic accuracy. The participants' qualification was statistically significant with usefulness of teledentistry for patients (p = 0.027), while work experience in years was statistically significant with both usefulness of teledentistry for dental practice and patients (p = 0.046 and <0.0001 respectively).
Generally, the feedback gained by this study showed readiness of the dental professionals to be engaged in the teledentistry approach. Further investigation of the business model of teledentistry is needed to understand the readiness and challenges. Directed campaign to educate dentists and the public of the technology and it is potential is necessary.
远程牙科被认为可以改善患者的牙科护理和时间管理效率。此外，远程牙科可以成为同行教育、咨询和确保转诊渠道的有用工具。
本研究旨在探讨沙特阿拉伯牙科专业人员对远程牙科在改善牙科实践和患者护理方面的益处的看法。
这是一项描述性的横断面研究，通过对沙特阿拉伯牙科专业人员的样本进行电子调查。使用经过验证的 26 项 5 分李克特量表问卷评估牙科专业人员在四个领域的看法：远程牙科对患者的有用性、远程牙科对牙科实践的有用性、远程牙科改善实践的潜力以及对使用远程牙科的现有担忧。统计分析包括描述性统计、使用 SPSS 软件的双变量分析。显著差异的 p 值为 0.05。
总体回复率为 28.6%，共有 286 名牙科专业人员参与了这项研究。超过 70%的受访者同意或强烈同意，远程牙科将通过加强与同行的沟通、指导和转介新患者来改善牙科实践。相当一部分受访者（60-70%）对技术可靠性、隐私和诊断准确性表示不确定。参与者的资格与远程牙科对患者的有用性呈统计学显著相关（p = 0.027），而工作经验年限与远程牙科对牙科实践和患者的有用性均呈统计学显著相关（p = 0.046 和 <0.0001）。
总的来说，这项研究获得的反馈表明，牙科专业人员准备参与远程牙科方法。需要进一步调查远程牙科的商业模式，以了解准备情况和挑战。有必要针对牙医和公众开展宣传教育活动，使他们了解该技术及其潜力。
