Attitude of general dentists towards patient-centered care and its related factors in Northern Iran

Patient-Centered Care (PCC) is one of the basic components of improving treatment quality, enhancing treatment outcomes, reducing treatment costs, and increasing patient satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to assess general dentists' attitudes toward PCC care and the factors associated with it. Through this cross-sectional study conducted in Rasht, Iran, data was collected using the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), which featured demographic information about the dentists and their attitudes. Using WhatsApp for communication with participants and a local survey platform as the electronic data form, 284 dentists completed the questionnaire. Independent t-tests, one-sample t-tests, and Pearson's correlation coefficient were conducted to analyze factors associated with PCC. The average overall PPOS score among dentists was calculated to be 3.45 ± 0.60 (out of 5), while the scores for the sharing and care subscales were 3.44 ± 0.73 and 3.46 ± 0.62, respectively. Sex, work history, and educational background did not exhibit a significant relationship with PCC. The level of patient-centered care among dentists in Rasht city follows the doctor-centered approach. Therefore, it is suggested that a patient-centered approach be improved for successful outcomes and patient satisfaction.