A controlled evaluation of computer assisted training simulations in geriatric dentistry

The increasing number of geriatric dental patients and the development of treatment plans that require consideration of complex psychosocial, socioeconomic, and medical/medication factors necessitates a change in the traditional teaching of treatment planning. A computer-assisted instructional program was developed to simulate the dentist-geriatric patient interaction and to train students in clinical decision making for the geriatric patient. This study compared the effects of this program with a more traditional approach based on readings from the geriatric dentistry literature. Twenty third-year dental students were matched on grade point average and randomly assigned to the computer or literature-based groups. They were pretested using a clinical analogue of a geriatric patient and then instructed to use either the computer or literature-based educational units. The students were then post-tested on a second clinical analogue. Students performed similarly at pretest. At post-test, both the computer and literature-based subjects were found to have acquired significantly greater evaluation points, to make fewer errors, and to design more involved treatment plans than at pretest. Comparison of computer and literature-based subjects' performance revealed no significant main or interaction effects regarding type of educational unit used. Consistent nonsignificant trends were noted with the computer-based subjects out-performing literature-based subjects on each outcome variable. In addition, the computer-based subjects had more positive feelings about the educational unit than the literature-based subjects at a statistically significant level. These findings suggest that the computer program is an effective alternative method for developing clinical decision skills in students treating geriatric patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)