Asadoorian Joanna, Forget Evelyn L, Grace Joan, Torabi Mahmoud
George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Can J Dent Hyg. 2019 Feb 1;53(1):7-22.
To improve public access to oral health care, dental hygienists have been identified for practice expansion, and, therefore, they must demonstrate decision-making capacity. This study aimed to identify and test potentially influential factors in dental hygiene decision making. Organizational and gender factors were hypothesized to be most influential and focused the study.
A 2-phase mixed methods approach was used. In Phase I, a qualitative decision-making model was developed and subsequently published in 2012. Phase II tested aspects of the model through an electronic survey instrument and key informant interviews. This article reports on the statistical results of the quantitative survey. A third article will report on the qualitative thematic analyses and merged interpretation.
The Phase I qualitative model guided the development of the survey instrument. The survey had a 38% response rate; moderate to weak correlations between predictor variables (structural and individual) and clinical decision making were shown. The final statistical model demonstrated that individual characteristics and graduating from a 3-year dental hygiene program were together significantly associated with decision-making capacity.
Individual characteristics and longer education were together shown to be associated with increased decision-making capacity. These findings did not show the organization or gender to be important in influencing decision-making capacity. However, the merging of the quantitative survey and qualitative key informant data will potentially inform how the organization influences the individual dental hygienist.
为改善公众获得口腔卫生保健的机会，已确定扩大牙科保健员的执业范围，因此，他们必须具备决策能力。本研究旨在识别和测试牙科保健决策中潜在的影响因素。假设组织和性别因素最具影响力，并以此作为研究重点。
采用两阶段混合方法。在第一阶段，开发了一个定性决策模型，并于2012年发表。第二阶段通过电子调查问卷和关键 informant 访谈对模型的各个方面进行了测试。本文报告了定量调查的统计结果。第三篇文章将报告定性主题分析和综合解读。
第一阶段的定性模型指导了调查问卷的开发。该调查的回复率为38%；预测变量（结构和个体）与临床决策之间呈现出中度到弱度的相关性。最终的统计模型表明，个体特征以及毕业于三年制牙科保健课程与决策能力显著相关。
个体特征和更长时间的教育共同表明与决策能力的提高有关。这些发现并未表明组织或性别在影响决策能力方面具有重要意义。然而，定量调查和定性关键 informant 数据的合并可能会为组织如何影响个体牙科保健员提供信息。
