Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year
: 2018  |  Volume : 16  |  Issue : 1  |  Page : 48--53

Is jargon deterrent to effective communication in dental practice? the budding dentists' outlook


Nupur Sharma1, Swati Patnaik2 
1 Department of Dentistry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Balangir, India
2 Department of Public Health Dentistry, Institute of Dental Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

Correspondence Address:
Dr. Nupur Sharma
Department of Dentistry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Balangir - 767 001, Odisha
India

Background: Patient–professional communication is a fundamental skill of medical practice. Health-care professionals have to be aware of their own communication practices and need to undergo periodic appraisal of the same. Overzealous and unrepressed use of jargon hinders effective communication between the doctors and patients, leading to a series of misunderstanding. The aim of the study was to assess the use of jargon and its acceptance in clinical history taking among dental students and interns in a dental teaching hospital of Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was carried out, consisting of 16 questions on BDS 3rd-year, 4th-year dental students and dental interns. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were computed. Differences between groups were examined using Chi-square test. The level of statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: Two hundred and sixty-seven individuals participated in the present survey, representing an overall response rate of 92.4%. Nearly, 78.9%, 89.6%, and 78% of BDS 3rd-year, 4th-year, and dental interns, respectively, used jargon in case history taking. Almost 61.6% of dental interns admitted that they always used jargon and 22% admitted that they used jargon only when there was a lack of time. Conclusion: This study showed widespread use of jargon/abbreviations in case history taking among the respondents. More medical/dental schools, residency programs, and continuing education programs for practicing physicians need to include training in clinical communication skills to enhance health outcomes.


How to cite this article:
Sharma N, Patnaik S. Is jargon deterrent to effective communication in dental practice? the budding dentists' outlook.J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent 2018;16:48-53


How to cite this URL:
Sharma N, Patnaik S. Is jargon deterrent to effective communication in dental practice? the budding dentists' outlook. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent [serial online] 2018 [cited 2024 Mar 29 ];16:48-53
Available from: https://journals.lww.com/aphd/pages/default.aspx/article.asp?issn=2319-5932;year=2018;volume=16;issue=1;spage=48;epage=53;aulast=Sharma;type=0