title: Factors related to the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients with blood-borne diseases.
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 blood-borne diseases.
authors.affiliation: School of Dental Medicine, Al Quds University, University Main Street, East Jerusalem, Palestine; College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, 801 Newton Rd #451, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kateeb
authors.forename: Rafat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Amer
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bajali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008877:Middle East; D016544:Patient Simulation; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Dentist; Palestine; hepatitis B infection; human immunodeficiency virus; patient-to-professional/prevention and control; willingness