Conference abstract

Patients´ perceptions of dentists´ behaviour at the outpatient dental clinic of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State

Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2022:13(11).02 Feb 2022.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2022.13.11.871
Archived on: 02 Feb 2022
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Keywords: Dentists´ behaviour, listening to patients, outpatient clinic, patient perception
Oral presentation

Patients´ perceptions of dentists´ behaviour at the outpatient dental clinic of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State

Dolapo Otuyemi1,&, Elizabeth Oziegbe1

1Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

&Corresponding author

Introduction: the aim of this study was to determine patients' perception of dentists' behaviour at the dental outpatient clinic of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex.

Methods: this was a cross-sectional study conducted among a representative, consecutively selected sample of 44 first time dental clinic attendees aged at least 17 years. Data were obtained through a self-administered questionnaire.

Results: the majority were females 26 (59.1%). The 21-30 years age group accounted for 40.9%. The majority, 34 (77.3%), had tertiary level of education. Seventeen (38.5%) participants opined that the “dentist should take patient's care as their ultimate priority” while 19 (43.2%) participants thought the “dentist took patient's care as their ultimate priority”. The majority (81.8%) of the participants thought the dentist “listened to what they had to say”, 79.5% felt that the dentist “should listen to what they have to say”. Fifty two percent of the participants felt that “the dentist should be smarter than most doctors” while 68% said the “dentist was smarter than most doctors that they have met”.

Conclusion: there was a high number of patients who were satisfied with the dentist listening to the patient complain. Smartness of the dentist and questioning about family were areas identified as needing improvement. Furthermore, the study has demonstrated patients’ perception about dentist behaviour as a measure of the quality of care. There is need to improve the dentist's conduct on smartness and patient's welfare that are directly experienced by consumers. The dentist should provide adequate explanations of dental problems and procedures to the patients.