Preparing dental students to recognize and respond to domestic violence: the impact of a brief tutorial

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a brief, interactive multimedia tutorial designed to prepare dentists to recognize and respond to domestic violence.

Methods: The authors randomly assigned dentists and dental students to one of three groups: a control group or one of two experimental groups in a modified Solomon four-group design.

Results: One hundred sixty-one dental students and 13 dentists completed the multimedia tutorial. At the posttest, subjects in both experimental groups demonstrated significantly better scores than did subjects in the control group on most items. The two experimental groups (pretest and posttest, posttest only) did not differ significantly from each other.

Conclusion: An engaging, interactive tutorial presenting a simplified model for ways in which dental professionals can recognize and respond to domestic violence significantly improved dental students' knowledge of, and attitudes toward, the topic.

Clinical implications: Clinicians may improve the care they provide to patients by accessing this brief tutorial and following the lessons contained in it.