Learning throughout life: can a progress file help?

Abstract

UNLABELLED: Modern dentistry demands continuous professional development. This paper reports part of a project to develop a lifelong learning tool known as a progress file for members of the dental team. AIM: To elucidate the views of dentists (as employers/managers) and dental therapists (as employees) on the potential use at work of a progress file. To obtain feedback from these groups on a prototype progress file for dental therapists. METHOD: Consultations were conducted with an opportunistic sample of 15 dentists and 32 dental therapists. Twenty eight dental therapists trialled the prototype for 6 months and 15 dentists appraised it. Opinion was obtained through interview and questionnaire, yielding largely qualitative data, which was content-analysed. FINDINGS: Both dentists and therapists were positively disposed towards a progress file at work but considered its success conditional upon factors including input from the team leader and rewarding dentists for time spent on supporting file users. Evaluation of the prototype was mainly positive. Trial data bore out many impressions from the consultations. CONCLUSION: A progress file that addresses the needs of both employers and employees has potential to help all members of the dental team meet the demands of lifelong learning.