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Dental practitioners and a digital future: an initial exploration of barriers and incentives to adopting digital technologies

Authors :
R.C. Gorter
Daniel Wismeijer
M. M. van der Zande
Sociale tandheelkunde (OII, ACTA)
Orale Implantologie en Prothetiek (ORM, ACTA)
OWI (ACTA)
Oral Public Health
Oral Implantology
Source :
British Dental Journal, 215(11). Nature Publishing Group, van der Zande, M M, Gorter, R C & Wismeijer, D 2013, ' Dental practitioners and a digital future: an initial exploration of barriers and incentives to adopting digital technologies ', British Dental Journal, vol. 215, no. 11, pp. E21 . https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2013.1146
Publication Year :
2013

Abstract

Background Digital technologies are proliferating into dental practices. While their technical attributes have often been studied, it remains unclear why some dentists adopt and use these technologies more than others.Aim To explore the incentives for and barriers against accepting and using digital dental technologies.Method Eleven semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with experts in dentistry, dental technology and dental education in the Netherlands. Results Dentists' acceptance and use of digital technologies are to varying degrees driven by the perceived advantages over analogue methods, perceived influence on treatment quality, dentists' personal and professional orientation, and social influence from peers and external groups. These effects are complemented by personal and dental-practice characteristics. Conclusions The findings suggest that there are large differences in motivation to adopt and use digital technologies between early adopters, late adopters and non-adopters, which should be examined in greater detail. We recommend that educators, dentists, and representatives of the dental industry who deal with the diffusion of these technologies take account of dentists' widely different attitudes to digitalisation.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
00070610
Volume :
215
Issue :
11
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
British Dental Journal
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....54a75947e68301d2b6424c5f418babbe
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2013.1146