Abstract
BackgroundWith the development of information technology, an increasing number of healthcare professionals are using smartphones and mobile medical applications (apps) in their clinical practice. The objective of this study was to survey the use of smartphone-based medical apps among dentists in China and determine dentists’ perceptions of such apps.MethodsAll data were collected using anonymous questionnaires. The questionnaires for this cross-sectional study were randomly sent to dentists by email, and 379 dentists responded. Dentists’ demographics and perceptions of WeChat, QQ (the most popular social media apps in China) and other medical apps were assessed; the questionnaire including questions on the purpose, frequency, daily use, and opinion of the apps they used. Questions were answered using a Likert scale (1 = strongly agree, 2 = agree, 3 = not sure, 4 = disagree, and 5 = strongly disagree).ResultsA total of 379 valid responses were received; the respondents had a median age of 33.6 years old (63.3% female). All subjects (100%) owned a smartphone, and all of them installed and used WeChat or QQ in their clinical practice. Only 76% of subjects installed medical apps (other than WeChat and QQ) on their smartphones. Male dentists were more likely to install medical apps than female dentists (p < 0.05). With increasing age, the percentage of dentists who installed medical apps decreased (p < 0.001). The frequency and daily use were higher for WeChat and QQ than for medical apps. Medical apps were positively perceived, with dentists reporting that they recommend these medical apps to their peers (Likert score: 1.67 ± 0.68).ConclusionMedical apps were perceived to have a positive impact on clinical practice, education and patient care in dentistry by providing relevant medical information. However, there will still be much room for improvement in the future.
Highlights
With the development of information technology, an increasing number of healthcare professionals are using smartphones and mobile medical applications in their clinical practice
We only found similar studies on the use of medical applications or mobile learning technology among dental students around the world [9,10,11,12]
Questionnaire and procedures Considering that WeChat and QQ are the most popular social media apps in China, we investigated their use in dental clinical practice separately
Summary
With the development of information technology, an increasing number of healthcare professionals are using smartphones and mobile medical applications (apps) in their clinical practice. The objective of this study was to survey the use of smartphone-based medical apps among dentists in China and determine dentists’ perceptions of such apps. With the development and decreasing costs of information technology, an increasing number of people are becoming internet users worldwide. In addition to the general public, an increasing number of healthcare professionals are using medical apps in their clinical practice [2]. We only found similar studies on the use of medical applications or mobile learning technology among dental students around the world [9,10,11,12].
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