EVALUATING COMPUTER MEDIATED COMMUNICATION IN DENTISTRY

说明：本修订后的小额赠款提案的目的是 确定计算机介导的通信是否可以提供 信息来源的牙医，足以改变他们的 有关牙周病的知识、态度和行为。 研究人群由密歇根州牙医样本组成 他们有电脑，对电脑媒介感兴趣 通信 他们被随机分配到 电子或传统邮寄信息6个月。 的 这两个信息来源的有效性， 牙医的变化将与之前和之后的评估进行比较， 他们对牙周病的知识、态度和行为 疾病 将通过评估以下方面的变化来评估知识 了解牙周病的概念、问题、指标， 测量. 态度将通过评估变化进行评估， 考虑到他们对概念，问题和价值观的看法， 进行牙周病的测量和记录。 行为的改变将通过衡量认可和 疾病的治疗。 将通过自我报告收集数据 邮寄调查和电子生成的记录， 与会者使用的计算机会议。 该项目还将 允许研究人员探索使用 以社区为基础的环境，为未来的牙医评估， 临床概念的理解。该项目旨在增加 了解牙医如何获得知识，并帮助确定 向牙医传递信息的最佳方式是什么 希望它能改变人们的行为

DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this revised small grant proposal is to determine whether computer-mediated communication can provide an information source to dentists that is sufficient to change their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors concerning periodontal disease. The study population is comprised of a sample of Michigan dentists who have computers and are interested in computer-mediated communication. They have been randomly allocated to receive either electronic or traditionally mailed information for 6 months. The effectiveness of these two sources of information in bringing about change in dentists will be compared with pre- and post-evaluations of their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding periodontal disease. Knowledge will be evaluated by assessing change in understanding periodontal disease concepts, problems, indices, and measurements. Attitudes will be evaluated by assessing change with regard to their opinions about the concepts, problems, and values of performing measurements and documentation of periodontal disease. Change in behavior will be evaluated by measuring the recognition and treatment of disease. The data will be collected through self-report mailed surveys and from electronically generated records of the computer conferences used by participants. The project will also permit the investigators to explore the feasibility of using a community based setting for future evaluation of dentists' understanding of clinical concepts.The project seeks to increase understanding of how dentists acquire knowledge and to help determine what may be the best means of transferring information to dentists in hopes that it will change practices.