Professional life cycle changes and their effect on knowledge level of dental practitioners

Abstract

Utilizing a national data set (U.S.A.), the effect of age and age-related professional characteristics on dentists' knowledge with regard to prevention of infective endocarditis was examined. The following research questions were addressed: (1) Do age-related characteristics produce different effects on knowledge level at various stages of professional careers?; (2) What are the key changes in these age-related characteristics and what processes are suggested by these changes? Multiple regression analysis assessed the influence of potential predictors of variation in knowledge level with regard to prevention of infective endocarditis for the entire sample. Using these findings as a guide, variation in the effect of significant predictor variables was then analyzed for three time segments of approximately equal duration: early professional life < 40, mid-professional life 40–54, and older professional life 55 or >. Age had a profoundly negative effect on knowledge level, i.e. the level progressively declines as clinicians grow older. The impact of the age-related characteristics on knowledge level of infective endocarditis prevention also varied according to the stage of the professional life cycle. Indices measuring the size or extent of theoretical understanding, in-office networks, institutional affiliations, and consulting networks were significant predictors of endocarditis prevention knowledge for younger clinicians. For those 40–54, only practice organization (office business and staff size and diversity) was a significant predictor, while for older clinicians theoretical understanding was the only significant predictor. Differences in the mean levels of these predictor (independent) variables across age groups were also examined via ANOVA. Level of activity, or extent of professional practice characteristics, varied from high to low with increased age on subject dentists. It is not necessarily age qua age which is responsible for the decline in knowledge level, but also age-related changes in professional life cycle attributes. Efforts to increase knowledge with regard to infective endocarditis prevention should focus on encouraging increased levels of activities on age-specific statistically significant predictor variables, with particular emphasis on increasing the level of theoretical understanding for the oldest and most deficient group.