Socio-economic characteristics and personal attitudes of patients attending a French prosthodontic teaching clinic.
The aims of the study were to define the socio-economic characteristics of patients attending a Teaching Hospital Prosthetics Department and to determine the attitudes and aspirations of such patients. The study was performed on 162 patients who requested prosthetic treatment in a French university dental hospital department. They were asked to complete a questionnaire at the beginning of their treatment. The questionnaire was composed of 2 parts, covering respectively: firstly, social, economic, and demographic data concerning the patients, the source of referral and the primary motivation for their decision to request treatment, and secondly comments concerning their prosthetic treatment. The results show the socio-professional and socio-economic diversity of this population. In most cases, the patients were recommended to the university hospital service by their relatives or friends. Among the criteria proposed, they indicate that cost and quality of treatment were their major motivation. Analysis of the patients' comments identifies some factors responsible for the lack of efficiency associated with care and dental education.
Fromentin
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Department of Prosthodontics, Department of Public Health, UFR d'Odontologie, University Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Service d'Odontologie, Hotel-Dieu AP-HP, Paris, France.
Boy-Lefèvre
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003796:Dental Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003778:Dentures / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004497:Education, Dental; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011476:Prosthodontics / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires