Are healthcare professionals sufficiently aware of dental ethics? Fields research in southeast Turkey

Abstract

Developments in the field of health and the changing characteristics of society have revealed the concept of medical ethics, which ethically evaluates the studies dealing with human life and produces solutions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness of healthcare personnel in the Faculty of Dentistry of Dicle University about ‘the legal responsibilities of dental practitioners’ and ‘rights of patients’. The study included 150 volunteers who were healthcare workers in the Faculty of Dentistry, Dicle University, between June and July 2019. The subjects were randomly selected from five different professional groups and data were collected using a single data collection form. All items on the form were graded using a 5-point Likert-type response. In the statistical analyses, Pearson’s Chi-square, Yates’ Chi-square and the Fisher Exact tests were used. The questionnaire responses showed that 61.3% of the study participants had received training on patients’ rights and 56.7% had information about the legal responsibilities of dentists. The rate of dentists who had received training was below average and 38.9% of the dentists reported not having any information about their own legal responsibilities. A positive response was given to the items on the questionnaire by 58% and a negative responseby 33%. The responses to some items were seen to have been affected by variables such as age, gender and professional group. Although some confusion was experienced by the healthcare personnel about patients’ rights and the legal responsibilities of dentists, the levels of awareness of medical ethics were evaluated as satisfactory.

Keywords

• rights of patients
• legal responsibilities
• healthcare personnel awareness
• medical ethics