Showing papers in "Journal of Dental Education in 1996"
108 citations
TL;DR: The overall perception of stress by Singapore students was higher than for their American counterparts, and the primary concern for both cohorts was related to the different areas of their academic courses.
Abstract: This study compared the perceived sources of stress in the dental school environment between an American and a South East Asian (Singapore) dental school across their entire curricula (D1-D4 years). The dental environmental stress (DES) questionnaire was administered to 137 (98 percent) Singapore dental students and results were compared to a previous study conducted at an American school. Significant differences were found for 12 questionnaire items across the four classes for the American cohort as compared to 13 in the Singapore cohort. While the greatest stressor for Singapore students was completing graduation requirements, American students were most stressed by examinations and grades. The overall perception of stress by Singapore students was higher than for their American counterparts. The primary concern for both cohorts was, however, related to the different areas of their academic courses.
68 citations
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TL;DR: Decision-support systems hold a specialized body of knowledge in computerized form such that the non- specialist can obtain expert-level information and are usually to assist patient care by providing the clinician with improved diagnosis or treatment planning.
Abstract: Decision-support systems hold a specialized body of knowledge in computerized form such that the non- specialist can obtain expert-level information. The goal of these systems in clinical sciences is usually to assist patient care by providing the clinician with improved diagnosis or treatment planning. Decision-support systems consist of three components: the user interface through which the clinician or patient enters signs or symptoms, the set of data describing clinical knowledge in the domain of the program, and an inference engine to manipulate the data set in light of a patient's specific signs or symptoms to arrive at a diagnosis or treatment plan. Such systems usually use one of three mechanisms of analysis alone or in combination: classification trees, Bayesian conditional probabilities, or rule-based (heuristic) systems. Numerous problems must be solved before decision-support systems will become commonplace in clinical practice. Data entry of patients' signs and symptoms is often tedious. The quality of the clinician's initial observations is of great importance in determining the quality of the output. It is also often difficult to convey to a program the subtlety of clinical information observed. Knowledge required in clinical data bases is often unavailable or imprecise. As these and other challenges are addressed we can anticipate increased utility of decision support programs in the future.
37 citations
TL;DR: This dissertation aims to provide a history of web exceptionalism from 1989 to 1997, a period chosen in order to explore its roots as well as specific cases up to and including the year in which descriptions of “Web 2.0” began to circulate.
Abstract: Copyright © 1997 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business School. R O B E R T S . K A P L A N
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TL;DR: To prepare freshmen dental students for clinical experiences, standardized patients (SPs) were used to teach basic skills in communication, examination, and record keeping.
Abstract: To prepare freshmen dental students for clinical experiences, standardized patients (SPs) were used to teach basic skills in communication, examination, and record keeping. SPs allow students to practice and be assessed in a realistic, predetermined, and controlled setting. The SP cases integrated the clinical content from freshman "Preventive Periodontics" with the behavioral content taught in "Basic Patient Management." Six SP cases were developed: two oral hygiene instruction cases, two medical and dental history cases, and two head and neck examination cases. One case of each type was used for instructing the students, and the others were used for assessing student competency at the end of the course. The SP methodology was evaluated by comparing the performance of freshmen, who had taken the course, with sophomores, who had only traditional clinical experiences. To make the comparison, sophomores participated in the same SP assessment as the freshmen. Scores for both groups were analyzed in three skill areas: interpersonal, technical, and record keeping. Freshmen scored higher in all three skill areas, with significant differences of 21% in technical skills and 31% in record keeping skills.
23 citations
TL;DR: Competency statements that were rated highly by program directors could serve as the basis for a "core" set of statements to describe the abilities of graduates of postdoctoral general dentistry programs.
Abstract: Meeting the demand for postdoctoral general dentistry programs will require new, innovative, and flexible models. Many believe that these new models must be competency-based and focus on the outcomes of postdoctoral general dentistry training rather than on the structure and process of that training. The Section on Postdoctoral General Dentistry of the American Association of Dental Schools formed a broadly representative working group in the fall of 1994 to develop a set of competency and proficiency statements describing graduates of postdoctoral general dentistry programs. PGD program directors were then surveyed to determine the extent to which they felt these competencies matched their concepts of the PGD graduate. Between 44 and 65 competency statements that were rated highly by program directors could serve as the basis for a "core" set of statements to describe the abilities of graduates of postdoctoral general dentistry programs. These data should stimulate further discussion among educators, program directors, accrediting bodies, and government agencies about the future of postdoctoral general dentistry programs.
TL;DR: Computer-based, electronic dental record keeping involves complex issues of patient privacy and the dental practitioner's ethical duty of confidentiality, and security systems must be carefully planned to limit access and provide for back-up and storage of dental records.
Abstract: Computer-based, electronic dental record keeping involves complex issues of patient privacy and the dental practitioner's ethical duty of confidentiality. Federal and state law is responding to the new legal issues presented by computer technology. Authenticating the electronic record in terms of ensuring its reliability and accuracy is essential in order to protect its admissibility as evidence in legal actions. Security systems must be carefully planned to limit access and provide for back-up and storage of dental records. Carefully planned security systems protect the patient from disclosure without the patient's consent and also protect the practitioner from the liability that would arise from such disclosure. Human errors account for the majority of data security problems. Personnel security is assured through pre-employment screening, employment contracts, policies, and staff education. Contracts for health information systems should include provisions for indemnification and ensure the confidentiality of the system by the vendor.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluate whether mercury vapor is released from amalgam restorations in such teeth during steam autoclave sterilization, and show evidence of mercury vapor generation coincident to steam autoclaving.
Abstract: Natural teeth are an invaluable teaching tool for preclinical instruction in operative dentistry and endodontic techniques. Cavity preparation in teeth containing amalgam restorations is a realistic simulation of an often experienced clinical situation. As various pathogens are contained in saliva, teeth must be disinfected before use by students. The purpose of this study is to indirectly evaluate whether mercury vapor is released from amalgam restorations in such teeth during steam autoclave sterilization. Mercury vapor detection, sample mass changes and x-ray fluorescence data were collected from experimental steam autoclave sterilization of amalgam samples sealed in autoclave bags. All of the data showed evidence of mercury vapor generation coincident to steam autoclave sterilization. Mercury vapor levels within the room where amalgam was exposed to steam autoclave sterilization reached levels that constitute an unnecessary health risk to dental personnel. The volume of amalgam tested simulated that contained in 175 amalgam restored teeth. Initial venting of the autoclave chamber produced mercury vapor concentrations significantly in excess of OSHA vapor concentration ceiling levels. Thus, the use of a steam autoclave for sterilization of amalgam containing teeth for use in preclinical laboratory exercises may be harmful to personnel involved.
TL;DR: The results indicate that data-gathering and interpersonal skills can be enhanced by using patient instructors and that student evaluation of the program was positive.
Abstract: A Patient Instructor (PI) program designed to improve students' data-gathering and interpersonal skills is evaluated. Each student in two consecutive classes of third-year students (class of 1996, n = 60; class of 1997, n = 72) interviewed four patient instructors (PIs) during a three-hour rotation. Each PI portrayed one of six scenarios. PIs assessed students using content checklists and an abbreviated Arizona Clinical Interview Rating Scale (ACIR). After the interview, each PI gave student constructive feedback regarding interpersonal behavior and ability to identify salient content items from the patient's history. Significant improvement was observed on content checklists (p < 0.01) between the first and second rounds. Significant improvement was also noted on the ACIR (p < 0.01) between rounds one, two and three. The results indicate that data-gathering and interpersonal skills can be enhanced by using patient instructors. Student evaluation of the program was positive.
TL;DR: It is suggested that the current methods of home study courses may provide continuing education opportunities for dentists who otherwise might not be reached by more traditional ways of CDE.
Abstract: With an increasing number of states requiring continuing dental education (CDE) for license renewal, dentists are opting for different ways of earning these credit hours beyond the traditional didactic presentation. One alternative is a home study correspondence course. Little is known about the type of dentists who participate in these home study courses. This study examines characteristics of 507 general dentists in Ohio who were required to submit information concerning their CDE courses and credit hours during the biennium, 1992-93. Twenty-five percent of the general dentists took at least one home study course, and approximately five percent of those dentists participating in any home study earned all their credit hours this way. A logistic regression model indicated that home study users are less likely to be ADA members and less likely to leave the state for any CDE. This study suggests that the current methods of home study courses may provide continuing education opportunities for dentists who otherwise might not be reached by more traditional ways of CDE.
TL;DR: This paper presents a brief history and overview of the Internet and then discusses how network application tools can be used in dentistry.
Abstract: Computer networking is a fundamental change in communication technology that carries with it the same significance as the development of human language. The discovery of new tools adds to the human experience, but the ability to communicate and share that knowledge and wisdom results in a factorial increase in the collective wisdom of a global community. This paper presents a brief history and overview of the Internet and then discusses how network application tools can be used in dentistry. Examples of various implementations will be given and a brief discussion of some constraints to implementation of network technology is also included.