Chatterjee Silpi, Geethika Lakshmi Konathala, Mustafa Khan Asim, Moothedath Muhamood, Vj Reshma, Muzaffar Mir Faheem, Singh Vikas
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College & Hospital, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, Pune, IND.
Department of Clinical Endodontics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DNK.
Cureus. 2024 Feb 18;16(2):e54424. doi: 10.7759/cureus.54424. eCollection 2024 Feb.
Background Teledentistry, defined as the use of telecommunication technologies for dental care, has emerged as a transformative approach to oral health services. This prospective observational analysis aims to comprehensively assess the impact of teledentistry on patient outcomes and satisfaction, addressing key aspects such as diagnostic accuracy, longitudinal treatment outcomes, and economic and logistical considerations. Methods The study involved 242 participants selected from diverse dental clinics offering teledentistry services. Participants could choose between traditional in-person visits and teledentistry consultations. The teledentistry interventions included remote consultations, diagnostic evaluations, and treatment planning facilitated through virtual communication tools. Baseline assessments captured initial dental conditions, and follow-up assessments were conducted at three, six, and 12 months. Outcome measures included diagnostic accuracy, patient satisfaction, changes in dental conditions over time, and economic and logistical feedback. Results Descriptive statistics revealed baseline characteristics, with participants evenly distributed between in-person and teledentistry groups. However, the overall satisfaction with diagnoses was significantly lower in the teledentistry group as compared to the in-person group (p < 0.001). Longitudinal assessments demonstrated comparable changes in dental conditions between the two groups. Economic feedback highlighted a cost-saving advantage for teledentistry users, with 80% reporting reduced expenses. Conclusion This study highlights the transformative potential of teledentistry in expanding access to oral health services, reducing costs, and providing comparable treatment outcomes to traditional in-person care. Future efforts should focus on enhancing the teledentistry experience, addressing patient satisfaction concerns, and refining the delivery of remote dental care to maximize its benefits for both patients and healthcare systems.
背景 远程牙科被定义为利用电信技术提供牙科护理，已成为口腔健康服务的一种变革性方法。这项前瞻性观察性分析旨在全面评估远程牙科对患者治疗结果和满意度的影响，涉及诊断准确性、纵向治疗结果以及经济和后勤等关键方面。方法 该研究纳入了从提供远程牙科服务的不同牙科诊所选取的242名参与者。参与者可以在传统的面对面就诊和远程牙科咨询之间进行选择。远程牙科干预包括通过虚拟通信工具进行远程咨询、诊断评估和治疗计划。基线评估记录了初始牙齿状况，并在3个月、6个月和12个月时进行随访评估。结果指标包括诊断准确性、患者满意度、牙齿状况随时间的变化以及经济和后勤反馈。结果 描述性统计揭示了基线特征，参与者在面对面组和远程牙科组之间均匀分布。然而，与面对面组相比，远程牙科组对诊断的总体满意度显著较低（p < 0.001）。纵向评估表明两组之间牙齿状况的变化具有可比性。经济反馈突出了远程牙科用户的成本节约优势，80%的用户报告费用减少。结论 本研究强调了远程牙科在扩大口腔健康服务可及性、降低成本以及提供与传统面对面护理相当的治疗结果方面的变革潜力。未来的努力应集中在提升远程牙科体验、解决患者满意度问题以及优化远程牙科护理的提供，以最大限度地为患者和医疗系统带来益处。
