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Nehi M, Barani Z, Ansari H. Evaluation of dentists’ attitudes and practices regarding taking and recording patients’ medico-pharmacological histories in Zahedan in 2023. aumj 2026; 15 (3) : 6
URL: http://aums.abzums.ac.ir/article-1-2002-en.html
URL: http://aums.abzums.ac.ir/article-1-2002-en.html
1- Department of Oral Medicine, Dental School, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, Iran , masoumenehi@gmail.com
2- Dental School, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, Iran
3- Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health Promotion, Research CenterZahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
2- Dental School, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, Iran
3- Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health Promotion, Research CenterZahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Abstract: (28 Views)
Introduction: Accurate and comprehensive documentation of patients’ medical and pharmacological histories is an essential component of safe and effective dental care. Incomplete or inadequate collection and documentation of relevant medical and medication-related information may increase the risk of adverse drug interactions, treatment-related complications, and inappropriate clinical decision-making. This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes and practices of general and specialist dentists regarding the collection and documentation of patients’ medical and pharmacological histories in Zahedan, Iran, in 2023.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 121 general and specialist dentists practicing in Zahedan, Iran. A census sampling method was employed to recruit all eligible dentists. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of three sections. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire had been established in previous studies. The first section collected demographic and professional information, the second section comprised 12 items assessing dentists’ attitudes toward obtaining and documenting patients’ medical and pharmacological histories, and the third section included 18 items evaluating their reported practices in this regard. Data were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS version 23. A significance level of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences (IR.ZAUMS.REC.1402.127) and was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Results: The overall mean attitude score was 34.4 ± 5.4 out of a maximum possible score of 48, whereas the overall mean practice score was 63.6 ± 6.8 out of a maximum possible score of 90. The most frequently reported barriers to obtaining and documenting patients’ medical and pharmacological histories were lack of sufficient time (77.6%), followed by the perception that obtaining such information would have little or no effect on treatment outcomes (65.2%). Dentists’ attitude scores were significantly associated with educational level (P = 0.033) and professional work experience (P = 0.031). Similarly, practice scores demonstrated a statistically significant association with professional work experience (P = 0.031). These findings indicate that professional and educational characteristics may influence dentists’ attitudes and practices concerning the systematic collection and documentation of patients’ medical and pharmacological information.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that dentists in Zahedan have relatively favorable attitudes and practices regarding the acquisition and documentation of patients’ medical and pharmacological histories. Nevertheless, the identified barriers, particularly limited time and the perception of limited impact on treatment outcomes, may hinder the consistent implementation of comprehensive history-taking and documentation practices. Strengthening continuing dental education, emphasizing the clinical importance of comprehensive medical and medication histories, and developing efficient documentation procedures may further improve the quality and consistency of medical and pharmacological history-taking in dental practice.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 121 general and specialist dentists practicing in Zahedan, Iran. A census sampling method was employed to recruit all eligible dentists. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of three sections. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire had been established in previous studies. The first section collected demographic and professional information, the second section comprised 12 items assessing dentists’ attitudes toward obtaining and documenting patients’ medical and pharmacological histories, and the third section included 18 items evaluating their reported practices in this regard. Data were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS version 23. A significance level of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences (IR.ZAUMS.REC.1402.127) and was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Results: The overall mean attitude score was 34.4 ± 5.4 out of a maximum possible score of 48, whereas the overall mean practice score was 63.6 ± 6.8 out of a maximum possible score of 90. The most frequently reported barriers to obtaining and documenting patients’ medical and pharmacological histories were lack of sufficient time (77.6%), followed by the perception that obtaining such information would have little or no effect on treatment outcomes (65.2%). Dentists’ attitude scores were significantly associated with educational level (P = 0.033) and professional work experience (P = 0.031). Similarly, practice scores demonstrated a statistically significant association with professional work experience (P = 0.031). These findings indicate that professional and educational characteristics may influence dentists’ attitudes and practices concerning the systematic collection and documentation of patients’ medical and pharmacological information.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that dentists in Zahedan have relatively favorable attitudes and practices regarding the acquisition and documentation of patients’ medical and pharmacological histories. Nevertheless, the identified barriers, particularly limited time and the perception of limited impact on treatment outcomes, may hinder the consistent implementation of comprehensive history-taking and documentation practices. Strengthening continuing dental education, emphasizing the clinical importance of comprehensive medical and medication histories, and developing efficient documentation procedures may further improve the quality and consistency of medical and pharmacological history-taking in dental practice.
Article number: 6
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
General
Received: 2026/04/23 | Accepted: 2026/09/10 | Published: 2026/09/22
Received: 2026/04/23 | Accepted: 2026/09/10 | Published: 2026/09/22
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