Exploring changes in the perception of e-professionalism among medical and dental students: a quantitative cross-sectional study

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Danko Relić
• Author: Marko Marelić
• Author: Joško Viskić
• Author: Lovela Machala Poplašen
• Author: Marjeta Majer
• Author: Kristijan Sedak
• Author: Tea Vukušić Rukavina
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; (Department of Medical Sociology and Health Economics)
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; (Department of Medical Statistics, Epidemiology and Medical Informatics)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Public Health and Health Care

Abstract (english)

Aim: To compare e-professionalism perceptions between medical and dental students, focusing on their awareness and understanding of guidelines for developing e-professionalism.

Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted at the University of Zagreb School of Medicine (UZSM) and School of Dental Medicine (UZSDM) in 2022/2023. Data were gathered through a questionnaire designed specifically for the survey.

Results: Of the 646 questionnaires collected, 626 were analyzed, with a response rate of 33.95% for UZSM and 37.83% for UZSDM. Most respondents (71.4%) were female, with a median age of 21. Medical students significantly more frequently considered it unprofessional to publish posts containing photos of patients/clients (96.5% vs 75.1%), endorsements of health products without conflict-of-interest disclosures (60.6% vs 33.0%), and posts describing patient interactions without revealing identifying information (51.7% vs 27.4%). In contrast, dental medicine students more frequently considered it unprofessional to publish posts with swearing or foul language (81.2% vs 67.4%), critical comments about lecturers (68.0% vs 46.9%), and criticisms of course material or the institution (52.3% vs 36.4%). Only 23.2% of students were aware of e-professionalism guidelines, with 37.9% of those familiar with their content.

Conclusion: While medical and dental students recognize the importance of e-professionalism, their perceptions have substantial differences. The need for promoting existing guidelines and integrating e-professionalism into curricula is evident. Continuous monitoring and research in this domain are essential to ensure future health care professionals maintain high standards of online professionalism.

• Keywords (english): Cross-Sectional Studies; Curriculum; Female; Humans; Male; Perception; Professionalism; Students, Dental
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Croatian Medical Journal
• Numbering: vol. 65, no. 1, pp. 43-50
• p-ISSN: 0353-9504
• e-ISSN: 1332-8166
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2024.65.43
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:129784
• Publication: 2024
• Document URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10915766/
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-05-22 11:24:31