An innovative PantoDict program for reporting panoramic radiographs using automatic speech recognition in dental...

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Radiology Training
• E-learning Technologies

Background:

• Effective interpretation of panoramic radiographs is crucial in dental diagnostics.
• Traditional teaching methods for radiology reporting may have limitations in scalability and standardization.
• Digital learning tools offer potential to enhance dental education outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an e-learning program with automatic speech recognition (ASR) on dental students' ability to interpret panoramic radiographs.
• To compare the effectiveness of the PantoDict e-learning program against conventional instruction and a blended approach.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-six dental students were randomly assigned to three groups: e-learning only (PantoDict), blended learning (PantoDict + conventional), and conventional instruction only.
• All participants received three seminars and completed an examination on panoramic radiograph reporting.
• Student satisfaction and perceived knowledge/confidence improvement were assessed.

Main Results:

• Groups utilizing the PantoDict e-learning program (PantoDict only and blended learning) achieved significantly higher examination scores compared to the conventional instruction group (P ≤ .002).
• Students in the conventional group reported greater improvements in knowledge and confidence than those using e-learning exclusively.
• Participants expressed satisfaction with the e-learning module's usability and didactics, with a majority preferring its continuous use.

Conclusions:

• The e-learning program incorporating automatic speech recognition is effective for improving radiology report generation.
• This digital tool serves as a valuable complementary resource to traditional face-to-face dental education.
• Further refinement, potentially including instructor support, may enhance the e-learning experience for specific components like initial seminars.