Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to provide the basic data that can help the development and quality management of effective continuing education programs by analyzing the status and demand of continuing education contents for dental hygienists. Methods: The questionnaire had 30 questions, which included 5 questions on general characteristics, 4 on continuing education status, 3 on online continuing education, and 18 on desired continuing education. The survey was conducted for the members attending continuing education programs in 2018. Results: The mean age of the participants was 30.08 years, with an average career of 8.19 years. The continuing education was highly recognized, through the homepage of the association (52.5%); as speakers for continuing education, dental hygienists in the field of specialization were preferred (45.8%). Additionally, the preferred frequency of programs was twice a year (45.7%). For promoting continuing education, the use of mobile phone letter was preferred (65.8%). Moreover, 92.9% of respondents were aware of online continuing education, 49.9% had experience in online continuing education, and 59.9% said that they will actively use smart devices in the future. The requirement for the contents of continuing education was the highest at 4.34 points for health insurance cost and the lowest at 2.75 points for liberal arts classes. Conclusions: To provide effective continuing education, it is necessary to develop a customized continuing education program considering various variables, such as career, work place, and career break experience, thus reflecting the systematic requirement of surveys according to each characteristic.
Figures & Tables
Table 1. General characteristics of the subjects
