Ethical Aspects of Patient Perception in Dental Care

Abstract

SUMMARY For a greater effectiveness of Dental Care teaching, it is necessary to promote a clinical stage, caring for patients in integrated or sectored clinics. This work’s objective was to evaluate the perception of patients treated at a Dental Care Superior Education Institution, about the service offered, with the goal of stressing some ethical aspects connected to the treatment. Therefore, a quality evaluation was done to permit the study of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs and values, through the application of semi-structured interviews with 42 patients treated at a Dental Care Educational Institution. The following were investigated: information received, expectations about the treatment, its cost, orientation received by the student, relationship among teachers, students and patients, satisfaction with the treatment, complaints and suggestions from the patients. These items formed themselves into analysis categories. The interpretation of the discourse of those who were interviewed allowed us to conclude that: the perception of the patients treated in the SEI may be better explored and included in the treatment model; we need to give emphasis, in the teaching-learning process, to the process of communication between teacher, student and patient, so as to make the treatment more ethical; the model for practitioner conduct is acquired during the graduation, therefore the ethical attitudes must be exercised during the treatment done at the SEI. DESCRIPTORS Practitioner-patient relationship. Ethics. Patient satisfaction. Humanization.