The knowledge, perceptions, compliance and challenges of dental technicians and technologists in KwaZulu-Natal towards Continuing Professional Development

Abstract

Literature documents that Continuing Professional Development (CPD) helps to track how practitioners are improving their skills, competency and performance while acquiring new skills to improve the quality of patient care. This process supports health care professionals to maintain, improve and advance their knowledge, skills, ethical and professional behaviour throughout their working life. Annually, dental technicians and technologists are required to provide evidence of their CPD engagement in order to retain their professional registration. This entails accruing a minimum of 30 Continuing Educational Units (CEUs) per annum. Reportedly, dental technicians have expressed their dissatisfaction with the management of CPD by the South African Dental Technicians Council (SADTC). Apart from this, there are no known studies on the challenges experienced by South African dental technicians and technologists concerning CPD compliance, which is required to keep them abreast of international and technological trends. This study therefore aimed to ascertain the knowledge, perception, compliance and challenges of dental technicians and technologists in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) towards CPD, in order to provide evidence-based information to guide stakeholders in the provision and management of CPD and to inform CPD policy formation and reform initiatives. This study used a quantitative non-experimental and descriptive research design, which follows a positivism paradigm. The study population involved dental technicians (n = 83) from KZN who completed an online questionnaire, which was underpinned by Kirkpatrick’s Four-level Training Evaluation model. The questionnaire mainly focused on dental technicians’ awareness, opinions and perceptions of CPD in terms of its delivery, quality of training, barriers to accessing activities and accruing CEUs. Data was analysed using descriptive (Univariate and Bivariate) and inferential (Mann Whitney and Chi Square) statistics (SPSS Version 25®) with the level of significance set at p<0.05. Using the principles of thematic analysis, five prominent themes emerged from the open-ended questions. Content validity ensured that the questionnaire focused on concepts and constructs from the literature review on CPD. The reliability of the results was maintained by Cronbach’s alpha. The results of the study revealed that CPD improves professional competency and supports the learning of advancements in technology. This coupled with the ease of access to CPD-related activities and ongoing communication from the SADTC enabled dental technicians and technologists to be CPD compliant. In contrast, the factors constraining dental technicians and technologists from being CPD compliant were their lack of awareness of the various ways to accrue CEUs, the high costs associated with CPD training, as well as a lack of financial and time relief from dental technologists (employers) to attend CPD activities. The attendance-based CPD activities and negligible adherence of the SADTC audit process to the principles of the South African National Standard (SANS 19011) audit document further exacerbated the constraints on compliance. In view of the results, the study recommends that dental technologists develop internal company policies to assist staff in attending CPD activities and provide more in-house and work-based CPD activities. It is further recommended that the SADTC revise the current Continuous Professional Development CEU accrual document to better align with the advancements of technologies currently taking place within the profession. Future studies should examine the auditing practices used by the SADTC in order to determine its alignment with the guidelines set out in the SANS 19011 audit document.