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A poster and a mobile healthcare application as information tools for dental trauma management
Author(s) -
Iskander Marian,
Lou Jennifer,
Wells Martha,
Scarbecz Mark
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
dental traumatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1600-9657
pISSN - 1600-4469
DOI - 10.1111/edt.12278
Subject(s) - dental trauma , the internet , medicine , dental health , dental insurance , family medicine , medical education , medical emergency , dental care , dentistry , computer science , world wide web
Background/Aims Prompt management of dental trauma in children affects outcomes, and multiple educational resources are available. The aim of this study was to compare subjects’ accuracy in answering a survey about dental trauma management utilizing a poster and a mobile healthcare application and to determine user preference for mode of delivery of information. Materials and methods A survey was administered to parents of patients in two pediatric dental practices. Questions collected demographic information, frequency of internet use, and responses to questions regarding dental trauma management for two separate scenarios. Participants used both a poster and a mobile application, but were randomly assigned as to which tool was utilized first. Results Eighty‐nine surveys were usable. The majority of respondents were aged 36–45 years (50.6%), had education beyond high school (64%), and had private insurance (52.8%). Less‐educated individuals were more likely to report searching the Internet (74%) compared to individuals with a graduate degree (57%) ( P = 0.017). The majority of subjects answered trauma management questions correctly with both tools. However, for an avulsed permanent tooth, individuals receiving the mobile application were more likely to select: ‘put the tooth back in place’ (71.1%) compared to those utilizing the poster, who chose ‘put the tooth in milk’ (56.8%) ( P = 0.004). Less‐educated individuals were willing to pay more for the application ( P = 0.015) and were more likely to report being interested in receiving dental information through mobile technology in the future ( P = 0.006). Conclusions Both a poster and a mobile healthcare application are effective in delivering dental trauma information.