title: The awareness and attitudes of students of one indian dental school toward information technology and its use to improve patient care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many obstacles need to be overcome if digital and electronic technologies are to be fully integrated in the operation of dental clinics in some countries. These obstacles may be physical, technical, or psychosocial barriers in the form of perceptions and attitudes related to software incompatibilities, patient privacy, and interference with the patient-practitioner relationship. The objectives of the study are to assess the perceptions of Indian dental students of one school toward the usefulness of digital technologies in improving dental practice; their willingness to use digital and electronic technologies; the perceived obstacles to the use of digital and electronic technologies in dental care setups; and their attitudes toward Internet privacy issues.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 186 final year undergraduate dental students from the A. B. Shetty Memorial institute of Dental Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Mangalore, India. Survey data were analyzed descriptively .
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most students indicated that information technology enhances patient satisfaction, the quality of dental record, diagnosis, treatment planning, and doctor-doctor communication. Cost of equipment and need for technical training were regarded as major obstacles by substantial proportions of respondents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most dental students at our school feel that the information technology will support their decision making in diagnoses and devising effective treatment plans, which in turn increase patient satisfaction and quality of care. Students also perceived that lack of technical knowledge and the high cost of implementation are major barriers to developing information technology in India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal University, Manipal, India.
authors.forename: Vinod R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Jathanna
authors.forename: Ramya V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Jathanna
authors.forename: Roopalekha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jathanna
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D048048:Dental Informatics / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D018961:Educational Technology / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D012575:Schools, Dental; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires