Effect of Video-Assisted Reflective Practice on Infection Control Performance During Oral Hygiene Procedures...

Area of Science:

• Dental hygiene
• Infection control
• Medical education

Background:

• Dental clinics are high-risk environments for cross-infection due to patient blood and oral fluids.
• Effective infection control training is crucial to prevent healthcare-associated infections.
• Traditional training methods may not be sufficient for optimal infection prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of video-assisted reflective practice against traditional verbal instruction for infection control education.
• To evaluate the impact of different training methods on reducing non-clinical surface contacts during dental procedures.

Main Methods:

• Dental hygienists' calculus removal procedures were video-recorded before and after interventions.
• Participants were divided into two groups: verbal instruction and video-assisted reflective practice.
• Intervention effectiveness was measured by analyzing non-clinical surface contacts in video recordings.

Main Results:

• Both training methods reduced non-clinical surface contacts, but video-assisted reflective practice showed a statistically significant greater reduction.
• Contact frequency with the dental unit chair and clinician's knee decreased significantly more in the video-assisted group.
• Video analysis confirmed the superior efficacy of reflective practice in minimizing contamination risks.

Conclusions:

• Video-assisted reflective practice is an effective method for enhancing infection control training in dental settings.
• This approach empowers clinicians to self-assess and improve their practice, potentially increasing self-directed competence.
• Combining video-assisted reflective practice with verbal instruction may offer synergistic benefits for infection prevention.