The use of information and communication technologies in Latin American dentists: A Cross-Sectional Study from Ecuador

Abstract

Background: The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) provide the tools for enabling fast and reliable real-time communications, as well as the transfer of information between dental professionals and their patients. However, little is known about the frequency and preference of ICTs among Latin-American dentists. Our study aims to fill this gap by assessing different aspects related to ICTs, mainly the frequency of use, perceptions, and barriers among Ecuadorian dentists. Methods: An anonymous, cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted among 342 Ecuadorian dentists. The final questionnaire included 13 items related to the frequency of use, perceptions, and barriers of ICTs. Bivariate analysis was performed by using chi-squared testing to explore the association between the independent variables and the intended use of ICTs, as well as to characterize the perceptions and barriers related to ICTs. Results: In general, most participants reported the use of ICTs to communicate with colleagues (99.7%), and patients (96.2%), while only 63.5% reported using ICTs to obtain academic information in their daily practice. WhatsApp was rated as the most used ICT for communicating with colleagues and patients. A majority of participants considered that ICTs can be useful for facilitating continuing dental education (92.1%), searching new work opportunities (91.5%), promoting health (90.1%), working with colleagues and other health professionals (91.2%), promoting their professional services (90.6%), and for resolving clinical cases (87.7%). On the subject of barriers, privacy and security concerns about personal and/or patient information was the biggest concern among dentists (65%), followed by lack of time to learn how to use and/or use ICTs (48%), lack of mobile internet access (28.1%), and lack of internet access at work (24.9%). Conclusion: In our study, we found that Ecuadorian dentists had a high usage rate of ICTs, mainly for communicating with other colleagues and patients, while the academic use of technology remains a comparatively underused application. Most participants had a positive perception towards ICTs, while privacy and security concerns were identified as the main barrier. Older age was associated with a less favourable perception as well as an increased likelihood of reporting barriers related to the use of technology.

Factors associated with the professional use of social media by speech-language therapists and audiologists working in Brazil: a web-based survey

“…Speech-language therapists and audiologists employed in the private sector and engaged in outpatient work seemed to demonstrate a higher prevalence of professional social media use, due to lower job stability and a need to attract new clients. This hypothesis was proven in a study involving dentists in Ecuador, in which employment in private institutions was associated with social media use to connect with patients (OR 2.17 CI 1.14 -4.16) 15 .…”

“…In some areas of health, such as nursing, medicine and dentistry, there has been an increase in the number of published studies on the behavior and perception of professionals who use social media [12][13][14][15][16][17] . However, in the field of speech-language therapy and audiology, studies on this topic are still scarce 18 .…”

Fatores associados ao uso profissional de mídias sociais por fonoaudiólogos que atuam no Brasil: inquérito populacional via web

“…Devido a isso, julga-se que indivíduos com relação de trabalho privado e com atuação ambulatorial apresentam maior prevalência do uso das mídias sociais profissionalmente, dada a necessidade de captar novos clientes e de se qualificar visto a falta de estabilidade laboral. Essa hipótese é comprovada em um estudo realizado com dentistas no Equador, no qual o trabalho em instituições privadas foi associado ao uso das mídias sociais para se conectar com pacientes (OR 2,17 IC 1,14 -4,16) 15 .…”

“…Em algumas áreas da saúde, como Enfermagem, Medicina e Odontologia, há um aumento na publicação de estudos sobre o comportamento e a percepção de profissionais na utilização das mídias sociais [12][13][14][15][16][17] . No entanto, na área da Fonoaudiologia, estudos com esta temática ainda são escassos 18 .…”

Hubungan Usia, Tingkat Penggunaan Teknologi Informasi, Dan Pengalaman Kerja Terhadap Pemanfaatan Teledentistry Pada Dokter Gigi Di Banjarmasin

“…12 Penggunaan teknologi informasi di kalangan dokter gigi tergolong dalam kategori tinggi, penelitian oleh Ozeda (2020) menunjukkan bahwa 95,3 % dokter gigi telah menggunakan teknologi informasi dan telekomunikasi, hal ini menjadi potensi besar bagi pemanfaatan teledentistry. 13 Penelitian terkait teledentistry masih sangat sedikit di Indonesia, khususnya di Kota Banjarmasin. Penelitian terkait penggunaan teledentistry pada dokter gigi di Kota Banjarmasin belum pernah dilakukan.…”