Abstract
Although the importance of empathy, rapport, and anxiety/pain awareness in dentist-patient relations has been well documented, these factors continue to be an issue with patients in many dental school clinics. The aim of this study was to develop an in-depth understanding of how patients at an urban, university-affiliated medical center and its dental school's clinic experienced oral health care and to generate ideas for improving the dental school's clinical curriculum and management of the clinic. Although patient satisfaction surveys are common, in-depth patient narratives are an underutilized resource for improving dental education. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 uninsured or underinsured dental patients at these sites, and the results were analyzed using content analysis. Major phenomena that participants discussed were the importance of empathy and good rapport with their oral health providers and provider awareness of dental pain and anxiety. Many patients also discussed feeling dehumanized during dental visits. Based on their positive and negative experiences, the participants made suggestions for how oral health professionals can successfully engage patients in treatment.
Highlights
The importance of empathy, rapport, and anxiety/pain awareness in dentist-patient relations has been well documented, these factors continue to be an issue with patients in many dental school clinics
First-hand patient narratives are a valuable tool to understand the patient experience in order to improve dental school curricula and clinic management
When Wener et al used patient focus groups to develop a measure of communication assessment for dental students, they found that patients emphasized slightly different variables than students and instructors, including the importance of provider pain awareness and holistic patient care.[13]
Summary
The importance of empathy, rapport, and anxiety/pain awareness in dentist-patient relations has been well documented, these factors continue to be an issue with patients in many dental school clinics. One drawback of surveys is that they do not provide a detailed, nuanced view of a particular health care encounter.[11] First-hand patient narratives are a valuable tool to understand the patient experience in order to improve dental school curricula and clinic management These narratives may provide perspectives on patients’ attitudes, behaviors, and experiences that are not captured by October 2015 ■ Journal of Dental Education other methods.[12] For example, when Wener et al used patient focus groups to develop a measure of communication assessment for dental students, they found that patients emphasized slightly different variables than students and instructors, including the importance of provider pain awareness and holistic patient care.[13] Other efforts have included using standardized patients, whose mock histories are similar to that of the actors playing them, to teach students about cultural competence, including being sensitive to alternate ways of health and access to care issues.[14,15] A systematic review of patient-centered care in dental settings concluded that patients’ perspectives on care have not been adequately integrated into patientcentered initiatives.[16] The aim of this qualitative study was to develop an in-depth understanding of how patients at an urban, university-affiliated medical center experienced dental care and to generate patient-driven suggestions for curriculum planning and clinic management
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