Changes in dentists' infection control practices, knowledge, and attitudes about HIV over a 2-year period. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Changes in dentists' infection control practices, knowledge, and attitudes about HIV over a 2-year period.

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 1996 Mar;81(3):297-302. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96252799
McCarthy GM; Koval JJ; Faculty of Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London,; Canada.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE. To investigate changes in the infection control practices, attitudes, and knowledge of dentists as they relate to HIV/AIDS. STUDY DESIGN. A comparison of responses to surveys conducted in 1992 (n = 258) and 1994 (n = 262) with the use of univariate/multivariate analyses and McNemar's test for paired data. RESULTS. The response rate were > 70%. There were significant increases in reports of continuing education related to HIV/AIDS, heat sterilization of handpieces, use of masks, and knowledge of risk of HIV infection after a needlestick injury. Significantly fewer respondents reported concerns about staff fears about HIV/AIDS. Reports of willingness to treat patients with HIV increased from 68% to 77%. The best predictors of willingness to treat changed from primarily infection control variables to lack of concern with respect to risk or loss of patients when treating persons with HIV. CONCLUSIONS. Increased use of infection control procedures and knowledge may be partly attributable to the introduction of mandatory continuing education in 1993.
Keywords: Analysis of Variance *Attitude of Health Personnel Comparative Study Dental Care for Chronically Ill/PSYCHOLOGY/*STATISTICS & NUMER DATA Education, Dental, Continuing/LEGISLATION & JURISPRUD Human *HIV Infections/PREVENTION & CONTROL Infection Control/*METHODS Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Logistic Models Matched-Pair Analysis Ontario Physician's Practice Patterns Questionnaires Support, Non-U.S. Gov't JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDanalysisofvarianceKWDattitudeofhealthpersonnelcomparativestudydentalcareforchronicallyill/psychology/KWDstatistics&numerdataeducation,dental,continuing/legislation&jurisprudhumanKWDhivinfections/prevention&controlinfectioncontrol/KWDmethodsknowledge,attitudes,practicelogisticmodelsmatched-pairanalysisontariophysician'spracticepatternsquestionnairessupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'tjournalarticle
961030
M96A1394

Copyright © 1996 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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