Outreach programs: an adjunct for improving dental education

Abstract

Introduction: An important objective of education is to improve clinical competence and hence confidence of students. Ample evidence on effectiveness of medical outreach programs is available but data pertaining to effectiveness of dental outreach, especially from developing countries, are still limited. The present study was undertaken to assess effectiveness of outreach placements on clinical confidence and communication skills of Indian dental students. Methods: A non-randomized trial was conducted in three randomly selected dental colleges of Bangalore city, India, amongst 89 students pursuing internship programs. Subjects were put into two groups: outreach (study group) and dental school based only (control group). A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate the change in clinical confidence and communication skills of both groups from baseline and after 3 months of follow-up via global self-assessment test, then-test and transition judgment. Outcome measures were analysed using t-test. Results: Global assessment revealed outreach group confidence level was higher in comparison to dental school based group only (4.37±0.49 vs 4.04±0.21, p<0.001), while using then-test their baseline confidence was observed to be lower (3.42±0.75 vs 3.72±0.72, p=0.04). Transition judgement rated an increase in their confidence significantly higher than the dental school based group only (4.24±0.91 vs 2.54±0.66, p<0.001). The outreach group rated increase in communication skills to be higher for the transition judgement.

Positive oral health outcomes: A partnership model improves care in a rural Indigenous community

“…6,12 Student clinical outplacement programs with a focus on prevention and education effectively achieve this. 17 The positive impact of this strategy can be seen in the success of dental student clinical outplacements within an Australian context where students gain a first-hand view of health problems affecting Indigenous people, while preparing for possible careers working in rural areas. 13,18 The community perceived an improvement in their oral health literacy and positive attitudes towards oral health arising from their attendance at the student dental clinic demonstrating the positive impact of oral health promotion.…”

“…13,14 Rural clinical outplacement programs for training dental students are an internationally recognised and adopted approach in dental education, which also supports the health care needs of rural and remote communities. [15][16][17][18] Clinical outplacement programs for training dental students in rural and remote settings can improve access to dental care 13,14 and create an opportunity for students to engage with Indigenous peoples. Rural workplace experience also enables future dentists to operate confidently in the public health care system.…”

“…Rural workplace experience also enables future dentists to operate confidently in the public health care system. [15][16][17] Historically, strategies to tackle oral health disparities in rural Indigenous communities have included community oral health outreach initiatives 19,20 and clinical outplacements of dental students in rural communities. 13 The anticipated benefits from the latter would be improved access to oral health services for rural communities and an enriching and authentic learning experience for the students.…”

“…13 The anticipated benefits from the latter would be improved access to oral health services for rural communities and an enriching and authentic learning experience for the students. 18,21 While there is increased interest in the engagement of university programs with rural communities, 16,17 to date there has been limited evaluation of the effectiveness of community-based partnerships in terms of improving access to culturally appropriate care from the community's perspective. 22 Evaluation of strategies and models of care that improve access to oral health care in Indigenous communities, including utilising a dental student workforce, has focused on outcomes of rural outplacements for students, such as enhanced clinical experience and intentions to contribute to the future rural health workforce.…”

“…22 Evaluation of strategies and models of care that improve access to oral health care in Indigenous communities, including utilising a dental student workforce, has focused on outcomes of rural outplacements for students, such as enhanced clinical experience and intentions to contribute to the future rural health workforce. 14,17,18 This study examines the integration of an Australian dental school's rural clinical outplacement program into the local Indigenous community health service. It evaluates how this model of care improves oral health from an Indigenous community viewpoint.…”