Dental professionalism and influencing factors: patients’ perception

Figures & data

Table 1 Participants’ descriptive characteristics (N=504)

	n (%)
Gender
Males	201 (39.9)
Females	303 (60.1)
Nationality
Saudi	338 (67.1)
Non-Saudi	166 (32.9)
Marital status
Married	256 (50.8)
Not married	248 (49.2)
Educational level
Intermediate school	33 (6.5)
High school	95 (18.8)
Diploma	53 (10.5)
Bachelor’s degree	246 (48.8)
Postgraduate degree	77 (15.3)
Type of hospital/clinic
KAUFD	140 (27.8)
Private clinic	109 (21.6)
Public hospital	107 (21.2)
Private hospital	137 (27.2)
Public polyclinics	11 (2.2)

Abbreviation: KAUFD, King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Dentistry.

Table 2 Participants’ ranking of the elements of dental professionalism (N=504)

Elements	Mean	SD
Adherence to sterilization and infection control rules and procedures	4.88	0.39
Personal hygiene and clean professional attire	4.85	0.39
Good communication skills	4.81	1.37
Diagnostic and clinical judgment and provision of the most efficient dental treatment	4.79	0.47
Ethical decisions and ethical patient care	4.76	0.52
Accurate documentation of patients’ data and treatment progress	4.75	0.69
Respect to the patient and his/her family	4.69	0.71
Work collaboratively with other medical professionals	4.59	0.65
Respect the patient’s autonomy	4.59	0.72
Management skills, punctuality, time management, and having an organized clinic	4.58	0.60
Seeking continuous professional development	4.56	0.64
Having responsibility to improve dental health and knowledge of society	4.54	0.74
Does not discriminate against patients’ views and values	4.47	0.67
Obliged to use knowledge and skills to provide dental care for all	4.42	0.68
Proper nonverbal responses	4.38	0.74
Blows the whistle to any illegal or unethical practice of colleagues	4.37	0.80
Assumes responsibility for decisions regarding patient care	4.36	0.87
Altruism	4.33	0.76
Positive caring attitude	4.29	1.04
Confidentiality to family members	4.23	1.06
Explaining to the patient his/her condition and all treatment options and cost-effective treatment	3.95	1.34
in an easily understood way
Confidentiality to other patients	3.73	1.51
Educating the patient about his/her legal rights and obligations that govern doctor/patient relations	3.71	1.46

Note: The elements were derived from General Dental Council in United Kingdom’s (GDC’s) “Standards for Dental Profession,”²² American Board of Internal Medicine’s “Medical Professionalism in the New Millennium: A Physician Charter,”²³ and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s (CanMEDS’s)² and Swick’s Normative definition of professionalism.³

Figure 1 Domains and subdomains of professionalism model and influencing factors.

Table 3 Independent t-tests showing mean differences between gender, nationality, and type of clinics/hospitals where the participants were treated

Group	Gender n (%): M =201 (39.9)/F =303 (60.1)				Nationality n (%): S =338 (67.1)/NS =166 (32.9)				Clinic type n (%): G =254 (51.2)/P =246 (48.8)
Factor		Mean	SD	P-value		Mean	SD	P-value		Mean	SD	P-value
Excellence and communication skills	M	22.38	3.55	0.000	S	20.25	4.79	0.000	Pu	20.28	4.72	0.004
	F	20.00	4.78		NS	22.54	3.15		P	21.51	4.21
Humanism, commitment, and service mindedness	M	29.22	2.56	0.487	S	29.02	2.29	0.000	Pu	29.11	2.08	0.364
	F	29.01	2.19		NS	29.52	1.54		P	29.17	2.09
Competence in practice	M	25.80	3.86	0.997	S	26.38	3.92	0.749	Pu	26.48	3.67	0.021
	F	26.44	3.96		NS	25.77	3.77		P	25.92	4.06
A dentist’s duties and management skills	M	10.59	1.41	0.897	S	10.62	1.35	0.455	Pu	10.59	1.27	0.827
	F	10.49	1.36		NS	10.42	1.26		P	10.52	1.36

Abbreviations: M, male; F, female; S, Saudi; NS, non-Saudi; Pu, public clinic; P, private clinic.

Table 4 ANOVA showing mean differences between age and education level groups

Group	Age groups (years) n (%): 18–25= 141 (28.0)  26–40=230 (45.6)  41–58=133 (26.4)					Educational level n (%): SL= 128 (25.4)  GL=299 (59.3)  PL=77 (15.3)
Factor		Mean	SD	F	P-value		Mean	SD	F	P-value
Excellence and communication skills	18–25	19.71	5.29	7.43	0.001	SL	20.69	4.27	2.96	0.053
	26–40	21.42	3.99			GL	20.74	4.70
	41–58	21.38	4.15			PL	22.07	3.83
Humanism, commitment, and service mindedness	18–25	29.21	2.07	1.92	0.147	SL	28.56	2.60	4.49	0.012
	26–40	29.22	2.08			GL	29.27	1.94
	41–58	28.75	2.95			PL	29.29	3.09
Competence in practice	18–25	25.98	4.55	0.60	0.547	SL	26.51	3.36	2.89	0.056
	26–40	26.39	3.56			GL	25.86	4.17
	41–58	26.05	3.83			PL	26.94	3.73
A dentist’s duties and management skills	18–25	10.60	1.45	3.50	0.031	SL	10.63	1.38	0.50	0.607
	26–40	10.64	1.22			GL	10.50	1.31
	41–58	10.26	1.52			PL	10.48	1.61

Abbreviations: GL, graduate level; PL, postgraduate level; SL, school level.

Table 5 Independent t-tests showing mean differences between perceptions of patients and dentists

Elements of dental professionalism	Group	N (%)	Mean	SD	SE	P-value
Adherence to sterilization infection control rules and procedures	DPP	504 (56.4)	4.88	0.39	0.02	<0.001
	DPrP	389 (43.6)	4.71	0.41	0.02
Respect to the patient and his/her family	DPP	504 (56.4)	4.69	0.71	0.03	<0.001
	DPrP	389 (43.6)	4.82	0.44	0.02
Explaining to the patient his/her condition and all treatment options and cost-effective treatment in an easily understood way	DPP	504 (56.4)	3.95	1.34	0.06	<0.001
	DPrP	389 (43.6)	4.68	0.55	0.03
Personal hygiene and clean professional attire	DPP	504 (56.4)	4.85	0.39	0.02	<0.001
	DPrP	389 (43.6)	4.52	0.67	0.03
Proper nonverbal responses	DPP	504 (56.4)	4.38	0.74	0.03	<0.001
	DPrP	389 (43.6)	4.58	0.59	0.03
Positive caring attitude	DPP	504 (56.4)	4.29	1.04	0.05	<0.001
	DPrP	389 (43.6)	4.62	0.61	0.03
Management skills, punctuality, time management, and having an organized clinic	DPP	504 (56.4)	4.58	0.60	0.03	<0.001
	DPrP	389 (43.6)	4.13	0.84	0.04
Altruism	DPP	504 (56.4)	4.33	0.76	0.03	<0.001
	DPrP	389 (43.6)	3.79	1.01	0.05
Good communication skills	DPP	504 (56.4)	4.81	1.37	0.06	<0.001
	DPrP	389 (43.6)	4.53	0.67	0.03
Work collaboratively with other medical professionals	DPP	504 (56.4)	4.59	0.65	0.03	0.002
	DPrP	389 (43.6)	4.64	0.58	0.03

Abbreviations: DPP, dental patients’ perception; DPrP, dental professionals’ perception.

GDCStandards for dental professionals booklet [cited 2010 December]2005 Available from: https://www.google.com.sa/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiu2pyR2ofdAhURtRoKHVTFAY8QFjAAegQICBAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gdc-uk.org%2Fapi%2Ffiles%2FOLD%2520Standards%2520for%2520Dental%2520Professionals.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2bsgWd7gdHGfxxI2kjscfhAccessed August 29, 2018

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