The Internet and the oral healthcare professionals: potential and challenges of a new era
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
17615024
Abstract
The Internet is increasingly used as a means of continuous education for healthcare practitioners. At the same time, a rapidly growing number of patients rely on the Internet for the search and acquisition of healthcare-related information and services. This fact has introduced new challenges for the oral healthcare personnel, which must not only often face the misperceptions of ill-informed patients but also be able to redirect them to quality sources of healthcare-related information. Consequently, there is a great need for the whole oral healthcare team to further understand the potential and dangers of Internet-based information. The present paper aimed to briefly discuss the major implications of Internet use from two distinct points of view: (a) potential and risks of Internet use for lifelong learning and quality assessment of the oral healthcare team and (b) potential and dangers from the Internet as a means of patients' education. (1) generic Internet search; (2) search within healthcare-related databases; and (3) principles quality assessment of information and resources.
Date Issued
2007
Publication Type
Article
Language(s)
en
Additional Credits
Journal
International journal of dental hygiene
Publisher
Wiley
ISSN
1601-5029
Access(Rights)
metadata.only