Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36550441›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2022

Canadian dental hygienists' experiences and perceptions of regulatory guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative descriptive analysis.

Lindsay K Macdonald, Michael Glogauer, Paul Allison, Carlos Quiñonez, Sreenath Madathil, Leigha D Rock

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Lindsay K MacdonaldFaculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University, 5981 University Avenue, Room, Halifax, 5224, Canada. lk.macdonald@dal.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6406-4797
Michael GlogauerFaculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Paul AllisonFaculty of Dental Medicine & Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Carlos QuiñonezSchulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada.
Sreenath MadathilFaculty of Dental Medicine & Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Leigha D RockFaculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University, 5981 University Avenue, Room, Halifax, 5224, Canada.
Dalhousie University · CAMcGill University · CAUniversity of Toronto · CAWestern University · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn Spring of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian provincial dental hygiene regulatory bodies implemented new practice guidelines. Reports of stress, anxiety and conflict experienced by dental hygienists have been linked to miscommunication between oral health regulators at this time. Limited data exists on the perceptions and experiences of dental hygienists navigating new guidelines for dental hygiene care during the pandemic. Therefore, the objective of our study was to explore via descriptive thematic analysis how dental hygienists experienced and perceived: i) dental hygiene practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ii) their regulatory body's COVID-19 guidelines.

methodsParticipants were identified through provincial dental hygiene licensing bodies. Online bi-monthly questionnaires were administered to participants (n = 876) from December 2021 to January 2022. Two open-ended questions were asked in the questionnaire. A qualitative descriptive thematic analysis was applied to these two questions.

resultsMajor themes at baseline relayed challenges related to workplace compliance, patient treatment and communication of practice protocols. Across responses, hygienists confirmed conflicting messaging from regulators and guideline interpretations as stressors impacting their professional practice and satisfaction within the profession. Participant responses at endpoint cited increased satisfaction with regulatory guidelines as the pandemic evolved, yet inconsistencies in regulators' messaging was noted as a prevailing issue.

conclusionInconsistent guideline messaging reflects an increased need for collaboration amongst oral health care regulators to streamline protocols for practice and reduce interprofessional conflict in pandemic circumstances. A national unified approach is warranted in establishing guidelines for dental hygiene practice in Canada.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsAttitude of Health PersonnelCanadaDental HygienistsHumansSurveys and QuestionnairesCanadaCommunicationCOVID-19Dental hygienistsGuidelinesMessagingProtocolRegulatory body

Identifiers

PMID36550441
PMCPMC9773656
OpenAlexW4312190602

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.