Assessing Tele-Oral Medicine in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study on Specialists’ Experiences and Effectiveness in Oral Healthcare
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Published:2023-12-02
Issue:23
Volume:11
Page:3089
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ISSN:2227-9032
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Container-title:Healthcare
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Healthcare
Author:
Akeel Sara1ORCID, Almazrooa Soulafa1ORCID, Ali Sarah Alfarabi1ORCID, Alhindi Nada A.1, Alhamed Sana1, Felemban Osama M.2ORCID, Mansour Ghada1, Sabbahi Dania3ORCID, Binmadi Nada1ORCID, Mawardi Hani1ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia 2. Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia 3. Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
Introduction: Teledentistry is an emerging tool to exchange medical information and clinical images to facilitate the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of oral diseases and patient assurance and education. Considering the shortage of oral medicine specialists in Saudi Arabia, this study aims to assess the experiences of dental specialists with tele-oral medicine and its potential applicability in addressing this shortage. Materials and methods: This was a pilot, cross-sectional study conducted among specialists in the field of oral medicine from January 2020 to March 2020. A total of 16 preselected cases with oral lesions, including clinical history and images, were developed, validated, and shared via email with study participants. Each case included questions on differential diagnosis, provisional diagnosis, and management. The responses were recorded, analyzed, and presented as means and percentages. Results: A total of 49 subjects participated in this study and more than half were under 40 years of age and two-thirds were women. A total of 23 participants had prior experience with tele-oral medicine, mainly via WhatsApp (95.7%), and these cases were received from patients, their families, friends, or other dentists. For all study cases, the correct diagnosis score ranged between 73.50 and 100%, and correct management ranged between 51 and 98%. Conclusions: Tele-oral medicine is an effective tool that may play an important role in patient management in rural regions with a shortage of oral medicine services. Further studies with larger sample sizes and in collaboration with international centers are warranted to confirm these findings.
Funder
Scientific Endowment, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Subject
Health Information Management,Health Informatics,Health Policy,Leadership and Management
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