The General Dental Council says there is a lack of a shared understanding of professionalism or what constitutes a breach of professional standards, and has asked the Association for Dental Education in Europe to undertake research which will be used to inform the next edition of Standards for the Dental Team as well as the development of Principles of Professionalism.
The research explores the boundaries of acceptable professional behaviour in dentistry, and UK-based dental professionals, dental students and members of the public are asked to complete a two to three-stage online survey run by Cardiff University to explore areas of agreement.
The researchers aim to identify:
- What aspects of professionalism the public expect from dental professionals and why these are perceived as important.
- How aspects of professionalism may be categorised (e.g. moral, clinical, personal behavioural; in work, outside work).
- Whether expectations of professionalism in dentistry differ compared to other professions, or between dental professionals.
- How the undergraduate curriculum prepares students to meet professionalism expectations, and how this is taught and evidenced.
The survey, which takes around 10 minutes to complete and closes at midnight on Saturday 30 November, is available at https://cardiff.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/gdc-delphi-study