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Continuing Professional Development of Dental Practitioners in Prato, Italy
Author(s) -
Nieri Michele,
Mauro Saverio
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of dental education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1930-7837
pISSN - 0022-0337
DOI - 10.1002/j.0022-0337.2008.72.5.tb04527.x
Subject(s) - continuing education , dental education , the internet , continuing medical education , medical education , continuing professional development , medicine , meaning (existential) , family medicine , psychology , professional development , world wide web , computer science , psychotherapist
The three objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate the frequency of access to instruments of continuing education by dental practitioners belonging to the Order of Dental Practitioners of the Province of Prato, Italy; 2) to ascertain their understanding and use of evidence‐based medicine; and 3) to identify their preferences for obtaining continuing education in dental therapy. Of the 177 members of this order, 123 (69 percent) responded to a telephone interview. The typical dentist of Prato reads articles in Italian journals once a week, consults colleagues once a week, reads books once a month, accesses the Internet every three months, goes to congresses or courses every six months, and does not read articles published in international journals. Forty‐one percent of those interviewed did not know the meaning of the term “evidence‐based medicine.” Practical training was considered the most important form of update in therapy and reaches statistical significance (p<0.05) when compared to consultation with colleagues, videos, and the Internet (which received the lowest score). The conclusions were that dentists of Prato obtain continuing education episodically and in a passive way. They do not understand the concept of evidence‐based medicine and often employ it superficially.