Dental Communication and Social Media: Legal and Ethical Framework
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Survey using a questionnaire..
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Professional Ethics, Health Communication, Social Media. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Italy
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Legal Considerations on Dental Communication Via Social Media: Liability, Ethics, and Regulatory Evolution
Overview
This observational study explores the legal and ethical boundaries of dental communication on social media, analyzing Italian regulatory evolution. Through surveys involving dental professionals and patients, it assesses awareness of advertising regulations and the impact of digital communication on the patient-practitioner relationship. The research identifies knowledge gaps regarding deceptive advertising and highlights the need for transparent, deontologically compliant digital practices to protect public health.
Detailed description
This observational study investigates the legal and ethical framework of healthcare communication on social media, with a specific focus on the dental sector. The research evaluates the impact of Italian regulatory shifts on professional digital practices.
The study architecture is based on a survey conducted through validated online questionnaires, targeting three distinct groups:
* Dental Practitioners (Dentists and Dental Hygienists): To evaluate their awareness of advertising regulations and clinical data protection (GDPR). * Healthcare Professionals (General Perspective): To analyze the broader application of deontological codes and ethical responsibilities in digital health communication. * Patients: To assess the public's perception, the usefulness of online dental information, and the risk of deceptive advertising.
The analysis focuses on identifying common pitfalls in digital communication, such as the risk of deceptive advertising and the violation of deontological codes. By comparing the perspectives of practitioners and patients, the study aims to highlight the gap between legal requirements and current social media practices, ultimately proposing guidelines for transparent, ethical, and legally compliant digital engagement in the dental field.
Interventions
- Other Survey using a questionnaire.
Participants complete an anonymous online questionnaire (Google Forms) consisting of multiple-choice and Likert-scale questions regarding healthcare communication laws, ethics, and social media usage.
Primary outcome measures
- Level of legal and ethical awareness regarding healthcare advertising [Time frame: At the time of survey completion (baseline)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- For Group 1 (Dental Professionals): Registered Dentists or Dental Hygienists currently practicing in Italy.
- For Group 2 (Patients): Individuals who use social media platforms and have accessed or are interested in dental healthcare information online.
- For Group 3 (General Healthcare Professionals): Medical doctors and health practitioners from various specialties interested in digital communication ethics.
- Age: Minimum 18 years of age.
- Consent: Participants must be willing to provide informed consent for data collection and analysis.
- Language: Ability to understand and read Italian.
Exclusion criteria
- Individuals under 18 years of age.
- Individuals who do not use social media platforms.
- Incomplete survey submissions where the primary data points are missing.
- Healthcare professionals not registered with their respective Italian professional orders.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
Study locations
Italy · 1 center
- Sapienza università di Roma — Roma
Publications
- Ruiz M, Kabani F, Cotter J. A review of the effects of oral health media hype on clients' perception of treatment. Can J Dent Hyg. 2022 Feb 1;56(1):31-38. eCollection 2022 Feb. PMID 35401762
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07550153 · 123