TY - JOUR
T1 - Increasing Opportunistic Oral Cancer Screening Examinations
T2 - Findings from Focus Groups with General Dentists in Puerto Rico
AU - Psoter, Walter J.
AU - Morse, Douglas E.
AU - Sánchez-Ayendez, Melba
AU - Vélez Vega, Carmen M.
AU - Aguilar, Maria L.
AU - Buxó-Martinez, Carmen J.
AU - Psoter, Jodi A.
AU - Kerr, Alexander R.
AU - Lane, Christina M.
AU - Scaringi, Vincent J.
AU - Elias, Augusto
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the focus group participants for their vital contributions to the study. This investigation was supported by NIH-NIDCR grants no. R21DE019766-01A2 and R21DE019766-01A1S1.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
PY - 2015/6/1
Y1 - 2015/6/1
N2 - This study aims to identify educational and training modalities that dentists in Puerto Rico (PR) believe will increase the quality and quantity of opportunistic oral cancer screening examinations (OCS) in dental offices on the island. The study was conducted in three phases: a systematic search of relevant literature, an expert review and consensus panel, and focus groups (FG) involving PR general dentists. To increase OCS by dentists in PR, the FG participants proposed a small group, hands-on OCS training, an integrated oral cancer course, and readily available videos, photographs, and computer simulations to further demonstrate OCS performance and facilitate differential diagnosis. OCS training requirements for licensure and re-licensure, improving OCS dentist–patient communication skills, and establishment of an oral lesion referral center were also viewed favorably. In conclusion, general dentists in our FGs believed the quality and quantity of OCS in Puerto Rico can be increased through the application of specific continuing education and training modalities.
AB - This study aims to identify educational and training modalities that dentists in Puerto Rico (PR) believe will increase the quality and quantity of opportunistic oral cancer screening examinations (OCS) in dental offices on the island. The study was conducted in three phases: a systematic search of relevant literature, an expert review and consensus panel, and focus groups (FG) involving PR general dentists. To increase OCS by dentists in PR, the FG participants proposed a small group, hands-on OCS training, an integrated oral cancer course, and readily available videos, photographs, and computer simulations to further demonstrate OCS performance and facilitate differential diagnosis. OCS training requirements for licensure and re-licensure, improving OCS dentist–patient communication skills, and establishment of an oral lesion referral center were also viewed favorably. In conclusion, general dentists in our FGs believed the quality and quantity of OCS in Puerto Rico can be increased through the application of specific continuing education and training modalities.
KW - Cancer screening
KW - Continuing education
KW - Dental education
KW - Dental examination
KW - Focus groups
KW - Oral cancer
KW - Oral cancer examination
KW - Oral cancer screening
KW - Puerto Rico
KW - Qualitative research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84939884562&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84939884562&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s13187-014-0679-x
DO - 10.1007/s13187-014-0679-x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84939884562
VL - 30
SP - 277
EP - 283
JO - Journal of Cancer Education
JF - Journal of Cancer Education
SN - 0885-8195
IS - 2
ER -