Factors related to the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients with blood-borne diseases
Date
2014-10-24
Authors
Kateeb, Elham
Amer, Rafat
Bajali, Musa
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons A/S
Abstract
This study aimed to explore, using groups of simulated patients, the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients
with blood-borne diseases. Simulated patients conducted a telephone survey of a random sample of dentists registered
with the Palestinian Dental Association. A random system was used to assign dentists to one of two groups, in which
simulated patients randomly identified themselves with either human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus
(HBV) and asked for a dental appointment. Three-hundred and four dentists (76%) responded to our telephone survey.
Sixty-six per cent accepted requests for appointments and 34% declined the appointment requests. Sixty-eight per cent
of the dentists declined appointment requests from patients with HIV and 32% declined appointments from patients
with HBV. Dentist’s gender, ‘blood-borne disease type’, ‘place of private practice’, ‘country of graduation’ and ‘years
since graduation’ were all significant predictors in the final logistic model. More than one-third of our respondents
declined appointment requests from patients with blood-borne disease, two-thirds of which were for patients who identified
themselves as having HIV. Education and training programmes are needed to improve attitudes of dentists – especially
female dentists, older dentists and dentists practising in northern governorates – towards patients with bloodborne
diseases.
Description
Keywords
Dentist , human immunodeficiency virus , Palestine , willingness , hepatitis B infection , patient-to-professional/prevention and control