Table 2.
Themes, subthemes and new items derived from focus groups
| Themes | Sub-themes | New Items (Statement) | DSQ Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attitude | Attitude of the dentists/students | Item 2. Dentists are very careful to check everything when examining their patients (Quality) Item 11. Dentists aren’t as thorough as they should be (Quality) Item 16. Dentists usually explain what they are going to do and how much it will cost before they begin treatment (Quality) Item 6. Dentists always treat their patients with respect (Quality) |
|
| Attitude of the dental supporting staff | 1. The working attitude of the nurse made me feel uncomfortable | ||
| Cost | Item 3. The fees dentists charge are too high (Cost) | ||
| Convenience | Access | 2. The dental service is accessible when I need emergency dental care | Item 15. Office hours when you can get dental care are good for most people (Access) Item 9. Places where you can get dental care are very conveniently located (Availability/Convenience) Item 13. It’s hard to get an appointment for dental care right away (Access) Item 5. Peoples are usually kept waiting for a long time when they are at the dentist’s office (Access) |
| 3. The admission procedure of the Hospital is convenient and fast | |||
| Treatment procedure | 4. There are too many visits throughout the whole treatment plan | ||
| Pain management | Item 8. Dentists should do more to reduce your pain (Pain management) | ||
| Quality | Operator(s) | 5. I am confident about the clinical skills of the dentists/students | Item 14. Dentists are able to relieve or cure most dental problems that people have (Quality) Item 7. There are enough dentists around here (Availability/Convenience) Item 12. I see the same dentists just about every time I go for dental care (Continuity) Item 18. Dentist’s offices are very modern and up to date (Environment) |
| Hospital | 6. The infection control procedures are satisfactory | ||
| Patients’ perceived needs for oral disease prevention | Oral health education | 7. The dentists/students have delivered me instructions of how to take care my own teeth. (appropriate oral health education) | |
| 8. I can easily obtain oral health information from the hospital | |||
| Regular follow-up | 9. Adequate post-treatment follow-up is provided |
Five items in DSQ-19 that were not emerged in the focus group discussions:
Item 10. Dentists always help you to avoid unnecessary expenses (Cost)
Item 4. Sometimes you avoid going to the dentist because it is so painful (Pain management)
Item 19. You are not concerned about feeling pain when you go for dental care (Pain management)
Item 17. Dentists should do more to keep people from having problems with their teeth (Quality)
Item 1. There are things about the dental care I receive that could be better (General satisfaction)