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Introduction: Universities represent important Centers for public health assistance. However, in the context of the COVID- 19 pandemic, most Brazilian universities have suspended their academic activities and outpatient care. Objective(s): Describe how the Teleconsultation Program in Oral Medicine of the School of Dentistry, Brazil, remotely contributes to counseling dentistry on diagnosing oral lesions and providing guidance on treating patients in the North Macro-region of Minas Gerais state. Material(s) and Method(s): Teleconsulting takes place remotely;the professional sends by smartphone, via WhatsApp, the case report, clinical images, and complementary exams, if appropriate. Concerning this, the specialist team analyzes the clinical case and returns it to the professional sender, providing information and suggestions on the oral lesions' diagnostic assessment and clinical management. Result(s): Since the beginning of the program, in 19 months, dentists from 40 municipalities were counseled, which resulted in 287 teleconsultations;from these cases, 103 cases were conducted face-to-face consultations in our Oral Diagnosis Service, and 38 cases were hypothesized as malignant lesions in the oral cavity and had their medical treatment conducted and followed by a multidisciplinary team, when appropriate. Conclusion(s): Teleconsultation Program represents an important tool to strengthen the communication between professionals of public health, improve health work processes, and promote better clinical guidance in Oral Medicine.
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Introduction: In early 2020, restrictions were established to control the transmission of COVID-19, such as the suspension of elective public health care. Dental teleservice has become an alternative to patient follow-up. In Brazil, the Federal Council of Dentistry published Resolution 226/2020, allowing the performance of dentistry at a distance. Objective(s): To assess dentists' satisfaction with the use of the oral telediagnosis service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): Cross-sectional and quantitative study. An online questionnaire was released to 636 dentists in the North of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between May and September 2022, with 298 respondents. The database was built using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, 24.0 software. This study was approved by the CEP (#5.267.570). Result(s): There was a predominance of dentists working in the public health network (86.2%;n=257). Most profession-als reported a drop in face-to-face calls during the pandemic (94.2%;n=281), and 86.2% (n=257) had losses from their activities. Teleservice resources were used during social isolation by 75.8% (n=226) of dentists, mainly for patient follow-up (63.7%;n=190). Consultation by phone was the main virtual method (63.7%;n=190). Regarding teleservice, 58.6% (n=119) of dentists realized the system was easy to use, and 50.2% (n=101) would like to continue using it after the pandemic. Conclusion(s): This is the first Brazilian study to assess dentists' satisfaction with teleservice. It is concluded that teleservice can contribute to early diagnosis and assistance by professional users.
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Aim: To determine the attitude of medical practitioners towards collaborating with dental professionals during a pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): The present study is a cross sectional survey conducted among the medical practitioners of India. 2100 medical practitioners were randomly selected as study subjects. The data pertaining to their attitude toward collaboration with dental professionals were gathered using a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive studies. Result(s): Among the study subjects, 93% of the medical doctors said in the future if the pandemic occurs then they would feel contended if they were to be given the provision to be aided by a well-trained dental support team, 80% of them said they experienced high stress during the pandemic. When asked to specify the reason in case they have not approached the dentist during the pandemic, 89% said they did not ponder over the thought of taking help from the dentist. Conclusion(s): If a pandemic occurs in the future, the contribution of the dentist can be beyond dentistry provided we adopt and execute proper measures and plan them beforehand.Copyright © 2021 Muslim OT et al.
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Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice of teledentistry during COVID-19 among dentists in Southern Saudi Arabia. Material(s) and Method(s): A questionnaire with 27 questions was constructed, validated and circulated electronically via social media channels like WhatsApp and by email to dentists from various fields in Southern Saudi Arabia. Data were collected and analyzed using the statistical software SPSS 23.0. Result(s): Most of the respondents showed a positive behavior towards all domains of the questionnaire, including knowledge, attitude and practice of teledentistry. Out of 839 participants, 532 participants were familiar with this term, most of them (64.4%) were practicing it during the pandemic of COVID-19. Discussion(s): It is an emerging technique that has the ability to improve the delivery of dental care diagnosis to communities with limited access or no access to specialists. As of today, there is a need for improvement in practicing it among the Saudi dental community.Copyright © 2022, Derman Medical Publishing. All rights reserved.
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Vaccine acceptance is essential to complete the vaccination program and reach community-based immunity. On the other hand, vaccine hesitancy is an important limiting factor, particularly among healthcare workers and mainly in lower-income nations. The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of vaccination among healthcare workers. A questionnaire was conducted in which healthcare workers were involved. In this work 528 healthcare workers were involved (7 physicians, 57 dentists, 22 pharmacists, 5 nurses and 9 other jobs). Our findings showed that 90% of participants were infected before vaccination while 10% had no history of infection before vaccination. While 93 % of participants received vaccine only 7% did not. Regarding the number of jabs, 7% of participants received one jab, 79% received two jabs and 14% received three jabs. The incidence of COVID-19 infection was dramatically lower among vaccinated health workers which was accounting for 38% with protection against infection (62% of participants). About 28% of participants who rejected vaccination they did so because they have chronic diseases, 15% rejected vaccination because they are pregnant women, 17% rejected vaccination because of its adverse effects while about 14% did not receive vaccine because of carelessness. Overall, our results show that the vaccination status among healthcare workers in Najaf is satisfying.Copyright © 2023, Colegio de Farmaceuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. All rights reserved.
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BACKGROUND: The studies on cardiovascular alterations when using an N95 respirator or surgical mask-covered N95 during dental treatments are limited. AIM: To investigate and compare the cardiovascular responses of dentists treating paediatric patients while wearing an N95 respirator or a surgical mask-covered N95. DESIGN: This was a crossover clinical trial in 18 healthy dentists wearing an N95 respirator or surgical mask-covered N95 during the dental treatment of paediatric patients. Oxygen saturation (SpO2 ), heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were monitored at baseline, intraoperation, and postoperation. The data were analyzed using the generalized estimating equation. RESULTS: The mean SpO2 , HR, SBP, DBP, and MAP significantly changed from baseline up to the end of the procedures after wearing an N95 by 3.1%, 19.3%, 11.5%, 17.7%, and 13.8% and after wearing a surgical mask-covered N95 by 3.0%, 20.2%, 5.3%, 13.9%, and 8.8%, respectively (p < .05). No significant differences in these values were found between groups (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: N95 respirators and surgical mask-covered N95s significantly impact the cardiovascular responses of dentists treating paediatric patients with no differences between the two types of masks.
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COVID-19 , Respiratory Protective Devices , Humans , Child , N95 Respirators , Masks/adverse effects , COVID-19/etiology , DentistsABSTRACT
The Indonesian Dentist Association (PDGI) has introduced regulations and recommendations to guarantee the safety of dental practitioners and patients during pandemics, yet, the implementation have not been optimal. This study aimed to analyze the implementation of infection control prevention in dental practices during the pandemic in Palembang using a qualitative approach. Focus group discussions (FGD) have been performed to batches of dentists, followed by in-depth interviews with the Head of the PDGI Palembang. Observations were also carried out to pertain more information on the on-site implementation. Research shows that despite having sufficient knowledge and a favorable attitude on corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission prevention and guidelines were made by PDGI, the majority of dentists did not adhere to the guidelines and failed to provide the necessary, such as pay with cashless, using telemedicine, level 3 personal protective equipment (PPE), aerosol, vacuum aerosol, and room renovation due to financial difficulties, room availability, swelter, the glasses fog up, and the limitations of telemedicine services. The absence of particular government regulation on dental practices hindered PDGI's ability to impose strict sanctions on those who failed to adhere. PDGI has socialized infection management and infection control prevention, yet its implementation is inadequate due to budgetary constraints and a lack of government regulation. Congruence and updated regulation need to be performed by the government with the support of PDGI to command dental practices and healthcare practices in delivering safe and quality dental services to the patients.
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BACKGROUND: Dental practitioners have a high risk of contracting COVID-19 during the treatment of patients because of exposure to airborne droplets. However, the application of pre-procedure treatment screening in dental practices in Indonesia varied during the pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of updated pre-procedure dental treatment protocols and procedures among dental practitioners in Indonesia. METHODS: This study consisted of dentists registered as members of the Indonesian Dental Association who attended the Indonesian Dental Association webinar series in 2021. All the participants completed a questionnaire survey. The participants, who were from various regions in Indonesia, were granted password-protected access to a URL hosting the questionnaire. The questionnaire collected demographic information and contained questions on adherence to updated protocols and patient screening procedures, to which the respondents answered "Yes" or "No". For the analysis, the participants were divided into three groups based on the type of facility where they were employed: public (government) hospitals, private hospitals, or university hospitals (dental schools). A chi-square test was used to investigate the association between professional background and the implementation of updated protocols, including pre-procedure dental treatment screening. A value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The age range of the participants was 20 - 60 years. The participants worked in facilities in 32 provinces in Indonesia. In total, there were 5,323 participants (males: n = 829; females: n = 4,494). In terms of professional backgrounds, 2,171, 2,867, and 285 participants were employed in government hospitals, private hospitals, and dental faculties, respectively. Among 5,232 participants who implemented updated COVID-19 prevention protocols, 5,053 (98%) participants performed pre-surgery procedures Among 151 participants who did not implement updated COVID-19 prevention protocols, 133 (88%) individuals carried out pre-rinse procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all the dental practitioners employed in government hospitals, private hospitals, and dental faculties in Indonesia performed pre-surgery patient screening procedures. There was an agreement between the dental professionals in all three settings on the need for COVID-19 pre-treatment screening procedures in dental practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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COVID-19 , Male , Female , Humans , Young Adult , Adult , Middle Aged , COVID-19/epidemiology , Pandemics/prevention & control , Indonesia/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2 , Dentists , Professional Role , Surveys and Questionnaires , Dental CareABSTRACT
Background: The Covid-19 pandemic seems to have an incessant out-turn on the people in every field in some or the other way. It has been reported that maximum number of deaths in the countries during this pandemic are caused due to a term called death anxiety or phobia. There are certain parameters such as anxiety, apprehension, depression which if influence a person can alter one's well-being. Objective(s): The steadfast intent of this review article is to narrate the psychological impact of this pandemic on dentists. The eloquence and emergence of this topic will alarm all the medicos and paramedics to have a check on this scenario. Method(s): The article consists of detailed study from several articles from PubMed publications. Articles written only in English language were referred. Various keywords such as "Covid-19 pandemic" or "Psychological Impact" were used. Result(s): The Covid-19 Pandemic has adversely affected all of us physically as well as psychologically. This article signifies the psychological impact of this pandemic on dentists. Conclusion(s): The current studies that are carried out till date show an extensive impact on the psychology of the dental professionals. The following review article elaborates the importance of the same.Copyright © 2023 Patil B et al.
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Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused Indonesia to take several actions and strategies in controlling the spread of infection. Padang is one of the cities in West Sumatera, Indonesia that has the highest number of COVID-19 cases. The usage of technology as a tool to minimize contact with infection in dental health care has been proven effective. However, teledentistry as an implementation of this technology is often hampered by legal issues, especially in data security. Aim(s): The purpose of this study is to determine dental practitioners' understanding of legal elements of teledentistry in Padang, West Sumatera, Indonesia. Methodology: An electronic questionnaire survey with 10 questions was developed by Google Forms, validated, and distributed electronically by zoom to 168 dental practitioners before and after the intervention. Statistical Analysis: Collected data were analyzed for statistical significance by using SPSS software (Version 16.0).. Result(s): There is a lack of prior knowledge of teledentistry in legal aspects among dental practitioners. A significant level of percentage of participants' knowledge regarding the teledentistry legal aspects has increased after the intervention. Conclusion(s): The majority of the respondents in this survey lacked adequate information and understanding of the legal aspects of teledentistry. Seminars and training are needed to increase dental practitioners' knowledge of the legal issue in teledentistry.Copyright © 2023 Kasuma et al.
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Introduction: Efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 disease led to suspension of many services which caused orthodontists to resort to providing only emergency services. The aims of this study were to assess the willingness of Nigerian Orthodontists and Orthodontic resident doctors to treat patients infected with Covid-19 as well as to ascertain advice given regarding traumatic arch wires and aligners during the pandemic. Participants and study design: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. We included dentists who were Orthodontists and orthodontic resident doctors practicing in Nigeria. Data was collected via an online questionnaire (Google form) which was sent three times weekly throughout May/June, 2020 and analysed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Result(s): Forty-eight out of the 90 members of the WhatsApp group responded within the allotted time, giving a response rate of 53.3%. Out of a total of 48 respondents, 39 (81.3%) were unwilling to treat patients infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic. The major reason was fear of infection with the virus (12, 25.0%). Most of the respondents (41, 55.4%) suggested the use of wax for relief of trauma from arch wires. Conclusion(s): Majority of Orthodontists and orthodontic residents practicing in Nigeria expressed unwillingness to treat patients infected with COVID-19. Aligner therapy was proffered as an alternative to bracket therapy.Copyright © 2023 Adeyemi TE et al.
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Introduction: Aim of the study was to analyse the structure of patients referred for dental treatment in general anaesthesia (GA) and to analyse the triage outcomes. Material(s) and Method(s): Retrospective chart analysis of patients referred between January 1st 2018 and July 7th 2022 was performed. Following data were registered: age, sex, diagnosis/ reason for referral for GA, indication for dental treatment in GA, trisage outcome and waiting time for the GA procedure. Result(s): Charts of 193 referred in the aforementioned period were analysed. Most common reason for the referral was autism (65/33.7%), cerebral paralysis (29/15%) and mental retardation (27/14%). Indication for dental treatment in GA was found in 156(80.8%) patients while in 37(19.2%) patients no indication for dental treatment in GA was found. Out of the 156 patients who were indicated for dental treatment in GA, 98(62.8%) patients were managed through day-care surgery and 8(5.2%) patients were admitted to hospital. Twenty patients (12.8%) were still waiting for their GA appointment in the time of analysis, 29(18.6%) were lost to follow up and in one (0.6%) patient the anaesthesiologist recommended ambulatory treatment due to increased risk. Out of the 37 patients in whom no indication for the treatment in GA was found, 13(35.2%) had no caries, 16/ (43.2%) were referred to paediatric dentist and 8(21.6%) were managed on the initial exam. Median time of waiting for the procedure was 120(10-365) days. Before the COVID- 19 pandemics median waiting time was 90(15-300) days, and after the COVID-19 pandemics median waiting time was 135(10-365) days. Conclusion(s): In the majority of the patients referred for dental treatment in GA, indication for the procedure was established. Majority of the referred patients can be managed through a day-care surgery. COVID-19 pandemics is probably one of the reasons for the increased GA procedure waiting time.
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Background: In this time of COVID-19 crisis, need of hour to appropriately perform dental procedures to reduce the spread of this deadly disease, it is importance to assess the knowledge and attitude of pediatric dentists regarding spread and control of infection before and after COVID-19 crisis. Methods and Materials: Questionnaire-based survey composed of 6 questions that assess the knowledge of pediatric dentists regarding COVID-19 infection and 10 questions each designed to gather information about their clinical practice before and after COVID-19 crisis which shows attitude of pediatric dentists. Online survey link was circulated through social media and an e-mail to pediatric dentists from different locations in India and the responses were collected. 346 pediatric dentists willingly responded in the study. Result(s): On grading the knowledge score according to the number of most appropriate responses chosen by the respondents, it was found that 82.4% of the pediatric dentist had good knowledge regarding the COVID-19 infection, 16.4% had fair and 1.2% had poor knowledge about it. The attitude regarding clinical practice of pediatric dentists, before and after COVID-19 crisis, is shown in percentage and was determined and compared using Chi-square test. Conclusion(s): Our study presented data on the depth of knowledge and the attitude among the pediatric dentists' attitude regarding spread and control of infection before and after COVID-19 crisis it was quite acceptable.Copyright © 2020 Ubiquity Press. All rights reserved.
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Background: Health care workers and dentists in particular are categorized as at high risk of catching Covid- 19 infection. The present study assessed anxiety and fear among dentists while working in current corona virus pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): 150 dentists of both genders were provided with a questionnaire. Each positive response "Yes" was marked as "1" while "No" was marked with "0." The frequency of the positive/negative responses was used to assess the dentists' anxiety. Result(s): Out of 150 subjects, males were 90 and females were 60. 70 were BDS, 80 were MDS, 50 were working in clinic, 60 in hospital and 40 in both, 95 were working in private sector and 55 in government sector. The anxiety of being infected with COVID-19 was seen in 67%, afraid of providing treatment for any patient was seen in 70%, anxious talking to the patients in close proximity in 65%, afraid that you could carry the infection from your practice back to your family in 84%, feel anxious when you hear that one of your coworkers or colleagues has been infected with COVID-19 in 80% and 72% knew the illness problems associated with COVID-19 virus. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion(s): Dentists had anxiety and fear while working in Covid- 19 pandemic.Copyright © 2020 Ubiquity Press. All rights reserved.
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Objectives: To assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on self-rated stress levels among dentists who treated children during the outbreak and pediatric patient cooperation during dental treatments. Methods and materials: This cross-sectional study was assessed by enrolling an online questionnaire among dental practitioners treated children during April 2020. Result(s): Dentists with higher COVID-19-induced distress reported a lower degree of pediatric patient cooperation during dental treatments than dentists with lower reported stress (p value < 0.01). Additional factors negatively impacting patient cooperation were degree of professional practitioner seniority in pediatric dentistry, and perceived knowledge about the COVID-19 disease infectivity and feeling protective against viral transmission with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Also, stress levels among dentists treating children influenced medical decisions, such as the selected treatment approach influenced by COVID-19 considerations. Conclusion(s): The COVID-19 pandemic has adverse effects on clinicians and pediatric patients. Educational programs should be developed to advance dental staff.Copyright © 2021 The Authors
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Tooth decay is preventable, through health behaviours (e.g. tooth brushing and limiting sugar consumption). However, in the UK, the most common reason for hospital admission in young children is to have decayed teeth removed under general anaesthetic. Dentists report finding behaviour change conversations challenging, and often use approaches known to be ineffective in changing behaviours (e.g. information giving, fear tactics). The study aim was to investigate the acceptability of a health psychology-informed behaviour change communication toolkit. A brief, interactive online training course was developed and made available to a sample of 117 dentists, trainees and allied practitioners. At baseline and post-training, participants completed questionnaires of knowledge, motivation, and confidence in holding behaviour change conversations. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 16 practitioners to investigate how the intervention could be developed in the context of COVID-19, which has severely disrupted routine dental services. Participants valued the training, which they described as novel and provided them with new strategies to enhance behaviour change conversations. Post-training questionnaires indicated participants felt more confident after training, with increased knowledge around planning and initiating behaviour change conversations with families. Early years practitioners working in a variety of non-dental settings (e.g. nurseries and children's centres) reported opportunities to have behaviour change conversations with parents, and welcomed further tailoring of the online training to help them capitalise on these interactions within these settings. Dental and non-dental practitioners are similarly motivated to have conversations with parents about improving their oral health. Brief online training can improve their capability to initiate these conversations in ways that do not damage the therapeutic relationship. To recover oral health services beyond COVID-19, there is potential for professionals working with parents in non-dental settings to develop skills in oral health promotion. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Patient Education & Counseling is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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Objective: To assess anxiety among dentists practicing in Cameroon during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey, and used the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) to appraise anxiety symptoms and severity. Result(s): Overall, 82 questionnaires were fully completed and retained for analysis. The mean age (standard deviation) of participants was 30.2 (2.6) with 52 (62.2%) being male. The mean (standard deviation) HAM-A score was 10.5 (4.6), with minimum and maximum values of 4 and 26/56. We found that 13 (15.8%) had moderate to severe anxiety (with 11 having moderate symptoms and 2 having severe), and 69 (84.2%) had no, minimal or mild anxiety. Participants working in health facilities with more than one dentist, where less likely to have moderate/severe anxiety (OR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.05;0.78).Copyright © 2021 The Author(s)
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OBJECTIVES Teledentistry is a telematics approach validated in the literature that allows the remote diagnosis and management of various oral health problems, avoiding direct face-to-face contact with the patient. This study aims to present a review of the scientific literature to analyze in which fields of pediatric dentistry teledentistry has found application and with what results;in addition, a case of unconventional oral candidiasis in a child, diagnosed and managed through the use of teledentistry during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in April 2020, is presented. MATERIALS AND METHODS The literature search was performed through PubMed (using keyword and MeSH terms), Scopus and Embase databases, evaluating observational, interventional, case reports and case series studies, published in English between 1999 and 2021 and conducted in children. The clinical case presented was diagnosed and managed through photographs that the pediatric dentist received from the patient's mother via a multi-platform messaging application. Through the same application, the mother was able to provide informed consent to take care of the patient remotely, after acceptance of possible critical issues regarding teledentistry, and receive a prescription for home treatment of oral candidiasis. RESULTS After exclusion of duplicates and articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria, 14 studies were selected. Teledentistry was applied in four different areas: oral health promotion, with 2 studies examining smartphone applications to improve home oral hygiene, diagnosis/follow-up/treatment in orthodontics with 4 studies, caries and other hard and soft tissue diseases of the oral cavity with 7 studies, and finally dental traumatology with a single study. With regard to the promotion of oral health, two applications for the improvement of home oral hygiene were examined. They showed promise for motivation and education. In orthodontics, the studies evaluated in this review reported that teledentistry is useful and valuable for follow-up and orthodontic consultations that can be obtained quickly;doubts remain regarding expense, intervention time and operator compensation. In addition, remotely supervised interceptive treatment appears to reduce the severity of malocclusions. About caries and other hard and soft tissue diseases of the oral cavity, results indicate that teledentistry can reduce waiting lists and the need for face-to-face examinations. Teledentistry is considered valid, efficient and potentially cost-effective for screening and follow-up of caries, being comparable to traditional clinical examination. Teledentistry has proven to be comparable to clinical examination for the diagnosis of dental trauma. CONCLUSIONS The data collected allow us to conclude that teledentistry, thanks to advances in technology, can be a useful means for pediatric dentists to improve the oral health of young patients and to provide better access to oral health services by effectively replacing face-to-face dentistry in various situations. The presented clinical case confirms the conclusions obtained from the literature search. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Teledentistry can replace face-to-face visits in several areas of pediatric dentistry and ensuring safe care during any future pandemics.Copyright © 2023 EDRA SpA. Tutti i diritti riservati.
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The increased incidence of hand dermatitis (HD) is well documented in healthcare professionals (HCPs) (Flyvholm MA, Bach B, Rose M, Jepsen KF. Self-reported hand eczema in a hospital population. Contact Dermatitis 2007;57: 110-15). It is reported that HD accounts for 95% of all occupational dermatitis (Bains SN, Nash P, Fonacier L. Irritant contact dermatitis. Clinic Rev Allergy Immunol 2019;56: 99-109). We sought to better understand the prevalence of HD in HCPs in a large teaching hospital, identify any associated risk factors and assess their knowledge of hand care. Additionally, we aimed to assess the availability of ward facilities and posters for hand hygiene and hand care. The survey was conducted between November 2015 and January 2016. A review of ward facilities and posters for hand care and hand hygiene was conducted in October 2020. A total of 820 HCPs responded to the survey. Altogether, 444 respondents (54 1%) reported a previous history of HD and 226 (27 6%) reported active dermatitis. These included 153 (18 6%) doctors/ dentists, 76 (9 3%) allied health professionals (AHPs), 46 (5 6%) nurses/midwives, 27 (3 3%) administrative staff, 16 (1 9%) other, five (0 6%) technicians and 108 (13 2%) medical/ dental/nursing/midwifery/AHP students. Only 10 (1 2%) took time off work owing to their HD, with five (0 6%) requiring > 5 days off work, but 67 (8 2%) wished they had taken time off work. In total, 416 (50 7%) respondents washed their hands > 20 times daily and 229 (27 9%) used disinfectants > 20 times per day. Those with a prior history of atopic dermatitis (AD) were at higher risk of developing HD [relative risk (RR) 1 69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1 52-1 89;P < 0 001], and within 6 months of starting their job/placement (RR 1 82, 95% CI 1 3-2 5;P < 0 002). Only 107 (13 0%) respondents were able to identify all 11 correct statements regarding hand care. Two hundred and twenty (49 5%) of the 444 HCPs with a history of HD never received hand care advice when they started their current role. The 24 adult wards surveyed had a total of 162 general-use sinks, all with hand soap and disinfectant, and 154 hand hygiene posters. In contrast, only 22 sinks had emollients available. No posters were seen regarding hand care and skin health. This survey highlights the high prevalence of HD among HCPs, especially those with AD, but many are still not aware of good hand care measures. Additionally, our survey reflects the need for early education and equal facilities for hand care and hand hygiene, as both are important when delivering good clinical care, to protect patients and staff, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.