TY - JOUR
T1 - Teledentistry from research to practice
T2 - a tale of nineteen countries
AU - El Tantawi, Maha
AU - Lam, Walter Yu Hang
AU - Giraudeau, Nicolas
AU - Virtanen, Jorma I
AU - Matanhire, Cleopatra
AU - Chifamba, Timothy
AU - Sabbah, Wael
AU - Gomaa, Noha
AU - Al-Maweri, Sadeq Ali
AU - Uribe, Sergio E
AU - Mohebbi, Simin Z
AU - Hasmun, Noren
AU - Guan, Guangzhao
AU - Polonowita, Ajith
AU - Khan, Sadika Begum
AU - Pisano, Massimo
AU - Ellakany, Passent
AU - Baraka, Marwa Mohamed
AU - Ali, Abdalmawla Alhussin
AU - Orellana Centeno, José Eduardo
AU - Pavlic, Verica
AU - Folayan, Morenike Oluwatoyin
N1 - Funding Information:
SEU acknowledges financial support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement no. 857287.
Publisher Copyright:
2023 El Tantawi, Lam, Giraudeau, Virtanen, Matanhire, Chifamba, Sabbah, Gomaa, Al-Maweri, Uribe, Mohebbi, Hasmun, Guan, Polonowita, Khan, Pisano, Ellakany, Baraka, Ali, Orellana Centeno, Pavlic and Folayan.
PY - 2023/6/16
Y1 - 2023/6/16
N2 - AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated teledentistry research with great interest reflected in the increasing number of publications. In many countries, teledentistry programs were established although not much is known about the extent of incorporating teledentistry into practice and healthcare systems. This study aimed to report on policies and strategies related to teledentistry practice as well as barriers and facilitators for this implementation in 19 countries.METHODS: Data were presented per country about information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, income level, policies for health information system (HIS), eHealth and telemedicine. Researchers were selected based on their previous publications in teledentistry and were invited to report on the situation in their respective countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, Finland, France, Hong Kong SAR, Iran, Italy, Libya, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe.RESULTS: Ten (52.6%) countries were high income, 11 (57.9%) had eHealth policies, 7 (36.8%) had HIS policies and 5 (26.3%) had telehealth policies. Six (31.6%) countries had policies or strategies for teledentistry and no teledentistry programs were reported in two countries. Teledentistry programs were incorporated into the healthcare systems at national (
n = 5), intermediate (provincial) (
n = 4) and local (
n = 8) levels. These programs were established in three countries, piloted in 5 countries and informal in 9 countries.
CONCLUSION: Despite the growth in teledentistry research during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of teledentistry in daily clinical practice is still limited in most countries. Few countries have instituted teledentistry programs at national level. Laws, funding schemes and training are needed to support the incorporation of teledentistry into healthcare systems to institutionalize the practice of teledentistry. Mapping teledentistry practices in other countries and extending services to under-covered populations increases the benefit of teledentistry.
AB - AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated teledentistry research with great interest reflected in the increasing number of publications. In many countries, teledentistry programs were established although not much is known about the extent of incorporating teledentistry into practice and healthcare systems. This study aimed to report on policies and strategies related to teledentistry practice as well as barriers and facilitators for this implementation in 19 countries.METHODS: Data were presented per country about information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, income level, policies for health information system (HIS), eHealth and telemedicine. Researchers were selected based on their previous publications in teledentistry and were invited to report on the situation in their respective countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, Finland, France, Hong Kong SAR, Iran, Italy, Libya, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe.RESULTS: Ten (52.6%) countries were high income, 11 (57.9%) had eHealth policies, 7 (36.8%) had HIS policies and 5 (26.3%) had telehealth policies. Six (31.6%) countries had policies or strategies for teledentistry and no teledentistry programs were reported in two countries. Teledentistry programs were incorporated into the healthcare systems at national (
n = 5), intermediate (provincial) (
n = 4) and local (
n = 8) levels. These programs were established in three countries, piloted in 5 countries and informal in 9 countries.
CONCLUSION: Despite the growth in teledentistry research during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of teledentistry in daily clinical practice is still limited in most countries. Few countries have instituted teledentistry programs at national level. Laws, funding schemes and training are needed to support the incorporation of teledentistry into healthcare systems to institutionalize the practice of teledentistry. Mapping teledentistry practices in other countries and extending services to under-covered populations increases the benefit of teledentistry.
KW - teledentistry
KW - global oral health
KW - oral health policies
KW - COVID-19
KW - healthcare system
UR - https://www-webofscience-com.db.rsu.lv/wos/alldb/full-record/WOS:001018874000001
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85164380342&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/froh.2023.1188557
DO - 10.3389/froh.2023.1188557
M3 - Review article
C2 - 37397348
SN - 2673-4842
VL - 4
JO - Frontiers in Oral Health
JF - Frontiers in Oral Health
M1 - 1188557
ER -