Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Accuracy in Dental Medicine, A New Way to Measure Trueness and Precision
Published on: April 29, 2014
Use of online sources of information by dental practitioners: findings from The Dental Practice-Based Research
Ellen Funkhouser1, Bonita S Agee, Valeria V Gordan
1Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA Department of Restorative Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA HealthPartners Dental Group, and HealthPartners Research Foundation, Minneapolis, MN, USA Kaiser Permanente Northwest Center for Health Research, Portland, OR, USA Department of Cariology and Endodontics, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark General dentistry private practice, Alabaster, AL, USA Department of General Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Objective:
Estimate the proportion of dental practitioners who use online sources of information for practice guidance.
Methods:
From a survey of 657 dental practitioners in The Dental Practice-Based Research Network, four indicators of online use for practice guidance were calculated: read journals online, obtained continuing education (CDE) through online sources, rated an online source as most influential, and reported frequently using an online source for guidance. Demographics, journals read, and use of various sources of information for practice guidance in terms of frequency and influence were ascertained for each.
Results:
Overall, 21 percent (n = 138) were classified into one of the four indicators of online use: 14 percent (n = 89) rated an online source as most influential and 13 percent (n = 87) reported frequently using an online source for guidance; few practitioners (5 percent, n = 34) read journals online, fewer (3 percent, n = 17) obtained CDE through online sources. Use of online information sources varied considerably by region and practice characteristics. In general, the four indicators represented practitioners with as many differences as similarities to each other and to offline users.
Conclusion:
A relatively small proportion of dental practitioners use information from online sources for practice guidance. Variation exists regarding practitioners' use of online source resources and how they rate the value of offline information sources for practice guidance.
Related Concept Videos
Current Trends in Nursing II
Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice
Theories provide a perspective to assess patients' conditions and organize data and methods. They also assist in analyzing and interpreting information. They represent a...
Data Collection I
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Nursing Clinical Information System
A Nursing Clinical Information System (NCIS) is a specialized type of healthcare information system tailored to meet the unique needs of nursing practice. It incorporates the principles of nursing informatics to streamline information management and improve the quality of care delivery.
Critical attributes of NCIS include:
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia
