Awareness about medico legal aspects and consumer protection act among dentists
Keywords:
Consumer Protection Act, Medico Legal, Awareness, Dentist, Questionnaire.Abstract
Background: The practice of medicine in India has undergone considerable change affecting delivery of health in both positive and negative directions. As a result, it was increasingly felt that medical treatment should also be made answerable. This led to coverage of doctors under various laws. Patients have become more aware of their right to compensation, which makes it mandatory that doctors should be knowledgeable about the laws governing them.
Aims and Objectives: To assess the awareness about Medico legal aspects and Consumer Protection Act [CPA] among Dental professionals.
Materials and Methods: A self-structured validated questionnaire comprising of 20 questions related to medico legal aspects and CPA was designed. A total of 450 dental professionals were surveyed, out of which 150 were MDS faculty, 150 were BDS faculty and 150 were PG students from 4 prime dental institutions in Chennai, India.
Statistical analysis: The data was subjected to SPSS, version 16 and statistically analysed using Chi square test and Fisher’s exact test. A-p value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
Results: BDS faculty, MDS faculty and PG students were found to possess similar level of understanding and there was no significant difference between the groups. Knowledge was equal between male and female dentists. The young practitioners were found to be more informed about CPA than the senior practitioners.
Conclusion: It was found that most of the participants were aware about the Medico legal aspects, but, were ignorant about CPA. This study emphasises the need for education on Medico legal aspects and CPA for dental professionals.