Expectations and perceptions of Greek patients regarding the quality of dental health care.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions and expectations of patients regarding the quality of dental health care they received and the criteria they used to select a dentist.


METHODS
Descriptive study.


METHODS
Two questionnaires referring to the expectations and the perceptions of dental health care were handed to patients. Likert-type scales were used to evaluate the characteristics examined. These characteristics have been classified in four quality dimensions: 'assurance', 'empathy', 'reliability' and 'responsiveness'. STUDY PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Two hundred consecutive patients who visited the Dental Clinic of the School of Dentistry, University of Athens, Greece, in 1998-1999.


RESULTS
The patients' top priority was adherence to the rules of antisepsis and sterilization. Women of the middle and lower socio-economic groups were more demanding than men of the same groups, while men of the upper socio-economic group appeared to be more demanding than women (P = 0.02). Their perceptions of the dental service provided reflected their satisfaction regarding the adherence to the rules of antisepsis and sterilization, but also showed their moderate satisfaction regarding most of the other characteristics and their dissatisfaction regarding information on oral health and hygiene.


CONCLUSIONS
Expectations and demands regarding empathy (approach to the patient) and assurance were placed at the top of the patients' priorities. A highly significant quality gap was observed between the desires of the patients and their perceptions (P< 0.01) and the largest gap was noted concerning information they received about oral health diseases. The largest quality gap was also observed in characteristics regarding responsiveness.
Karydis
A
A
Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, University of Athens, Greece. a_karydis@yahoo.gr
Komboli-Kodovazeniti
M
M
Hatzigeorgiou
D
D
Panis
V
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000985:Antisepsis / Q000592:standards; D003142:Communication; D003729:Dental Care / Q000592:standards*; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011215:Practice Management, Dental / Q000592:standards; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012575:Schools, Dental / Q000592:standards; D013039:Specialties, Dental / Q000592:standards; D013242:Sterilization / Q000592:standards