Wright, SP, Crofts, GS, Ucer, TC and Speechley, SD 2018, 'Dentists' perceptions of smart phone use in the clinical environment' , British Dental Journal, 225 (4) , pp. 320-324.
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Objective
To determine the use of smart phones in clinical practice and to determine the perceived impact on patient safety.
Study design
A closed questionnaire survey with an exploratory open question.
Setting, materials and methods
A questionnaire was sent to a sample of 216 delegates that have attended courses provided by an education provider in the North West of England between 2015–2017.
Results
There was a response rate of 49.5% which represented 107 returned questionnaires. The mean year of qualification is 2008. Of the respondents,105 were general dental practitioners, and two were hospital based dentists. Of the respondents, 82.2% had their smart phone in surgery, and of these 88% had the smart phone on silent, with the respondents on average receiving three texts, four emails and one call each session. Of the respondents, 40.9% were not aware that they received a text, 53.4% an email, and 37.5% a telephone call. Whilst 50.1% responded, in some way, to a text, 46.6% to an email and 62.5% to a telephone call. Of the respondents, 61.7% think that having a phone in the surgery is a distraction. Of the respondents, 20.7% stated that smart phones should not be allowed in the surgery under any circumstance, whilst 24.1% stated that they should be allowed if on silent and out of view, and 16.4% allowed their use but not in front of patients.
Conclusions
Eighty-eight percent of respondents had their smart phone with them in the surgery, with 61.7% reporting it to be a distraction from their clinical duties. It is our recommendation that each clinic has a protocol or policy that governs the use of smart phones focusing on patient safety.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Schools: | Schools > School of Health and Society |
| Journal or Publication Title: | British Dental Journal |
| Publisher: | Springer Nature |
| ISSN: | 1476-5373 |
| Related URLs: | |
| SWORD Depositor: | Publications Router |
| Depositing User: | Publications Router |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Nov 2018 10:35 |
| Last Modified: | 27 Aug 2021 23:52 |
| URI: | https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/48302 |
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