The Top 10 ethical challenges in dental practice in indian scenario: Dentist perspective

• Published in: Contemporary clinical dentistry Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 97 - 104
• Main Authors: Kemparaj, Vanishree, Panchmal, Ganesh, Kadalur, Umashankar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.01.2018; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Analysis; Bioethics; Clinical medicine; Dental ethics; Dentist-patient relations; Dentistry; Dentists; Ethical aspects; Ethics; Experts; Focus groups; informed consent; Legal medicine; Medical diagnosis; Medical ethics; Medical practice; medical record; Oral hygiene; Original; Patient care; Professionals; Public health; qualitative research; Sterilization; Training; Waste management; India; medical record; qualitative research; dentists; informed consent; Dental ethics
• ISSN: 0976-237X; 0976-2361
• DOI: 10.4103/ccd.ccd_802_17

Aim: This exploratory qualitative research is an attempt to assess the health care ethical challenges in dental practice in an Indian scenario. Methodology: Qualitative indepth interview was conducted on 20 dental professionals to assess the ethical challenges prevailing in dental practice in Indian scenario. After obtaining the responses the verbatims were categorized into categories and finally 36 themes emerged. Later from two group of 6 panellists each after conducting focus group discussion the themes of ethical issues occurring in dental practice were ranked based on order of significance impact on the practice, patient and society using Delphi method. Result: The top ten ethical challenges listed by the panellists are inadequate sterilization and waste management in dental clinics, poor knowledge and attitude towards ethics among our dental practitioners, in competence among dental professional, increase in cost of oral health service, poor informed consent process, requirement of consensus about the treatment procedures among dentists, Conflict in Advertising, clustering of dental clinics in urban areas, disagreement with treatment modalities among dentist and patient, poor medical record maintenance among our dental practitioners. Conclusion: The study attempts to bring the prevailing ethical challenges in oral health care practice in Indian scenario.