How efficient is the cooperation between dentists and osteopaths in Styria?
Item
- Title
- How efficient is the cooperation between dentists and osteopaths in Styria?
- Author(s)
- Kaltenböck Michael
- Abstract
-
Study Design
Quantitative online questionnaire
Outline/Problem Definition
Many studies call for a multi-professional cooperation between dentists and other professions especially for patients, who are suffering out of temporomandibular dysfunction. But such a cooperation doesn´t come of very often. Because the author of this study is an Osteopath, it is the aim of this study to shine a light on the cooperation between the professional groups of dentists and osteopaths in Styria.
Research Question & Objective
dentists working in Styria (n=598)
Hypothesis
Firstly, do the knowing about osteopathy in general and the osteopathic field of activity in dental medicine in particular, affect the referral of dentists, who are working in Styria to osteopaths? Secondly, does the lack of evidence based orientation in osteopathy play a decisive role in the cooperation between dentists and osteopaths? And does this lead to an augmented teamwork with other professions, who are up to evidence based standards?
Methodology
At the end of 2008 a quantitative online questionnaire was conducted amongst dentists, working in Styria.(n=284) The rate of return amounts to 16% of the sample.
Results
The results show that only 44% are working together with osteopaths. The lack of multidisciplinary cooperation correlates significantly with a low standard of knowledge of the profession of osteopathy. (Chi²=4,02; df=1; p=0,045) The results further show that within the group of dentists, there is one group, who tendentially works together with professions, who are working on evidence based standards. On the other hand there is another group, who cooperates with professionals, who are dedicated to alternative medicine. Within this group the referral to osteopaths is taking place more often. This derives, because dentists who cooperate with professions, who are related to alternative medicine, like nutritionists, also have the highest rate of allotment to osteopaths (50% allocation quota). Overall there is no evidence out of the results of this questionnaire, for a more likely cooperation of dentists with professions, who conform to evidence based standards the results show that teamwork fails for more essential reasons: Dentists don´t know any osteopaths, working nearby, to whom they can refer. (For 68% the main reason for the lack of cooperation is, that they don´t know any osteopath, and 20% don´t know any osteopaths nearby).
Critical Reflection/Perspectives/Conclusions
Therefore personal dedication of each osteopath, who is willing to cooperate with a dentist and of the association of osteopaths, is derived. Only when this takes place, osteopathy will become more apparent and patients will get a more comprehensive care.
Additional Information
- presented at
- Wiener Schule für Osteopathie
- Date Accepted
- 2010
- Date Submitted
- 1.5.2010 00:00:00
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- German
- Number of pages
- 120
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 13887
- Inst-Identifier
- 781
- Keywords
- Dentists
- Recommended
- 0
- Medium
- KaltenboeckMichael.pdf
- Item sets
- Thesis
- Media
- KaltenboeckMichael.pdf
Kaltenböck Michael, “How efficient is the cooperation between dentists and osteopaths in Styria?”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 9, 2024, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/2954