Abstract
Objectives: This study investigated the perception and educational needs of the health care professionals in wake of the fourth industrial revolution. Methods: This study was conducted among 115 students from the Department of Dental Hygiene and 122 dental hygienists from Gwangju and Jeonnam, from June 25 to September 20, 2020. The questionnaire consisted of one question on the perception of the concept of the fourth industrial revolution and two questions on the influence of the fourth industrial revolution. It contained a total of eight questions on the desired education hours and education expenditure. Results: The degree of perception of the concept and influence of the fourth industrial revolution was 3.20 for both dental hygiene students and dental hygienists; the average of the two groups was the same. Regarding the educational experience, 'no experience' was the most marked response among both dental hygiene students and dental hygienists and no statistically significant difference was observed (p>0.05). Conclusions: As demanded by the changing times, it is necessary to identify the differences in educational demands of the two groups, develop educational programs according to the fourth industrial revolution, as demanded by the changing times, and apply educational programs that fit the educational needs of each group.
