背景:这项研究涉及一项范围审查,以探索影响高收入国家牙科卫生需求和供应的因素。
方法:采用针对四个数据库(MEDLINE,CINAHL,谷歌学者,和Google)以及对牙科卫生组织网站的针对性扫描。这产生了2,117条独特的引文,导致148篇文章纳入审查。
结果:近一半(47%)的文章关注美国,加拿大的11%。大多数文章(91%)是英文的,韩语13名,法语1名。期刊文章占出版物的62%,其次是报告/工作文件(11%)和网站(11%)。其他类型包括会议摘要,政策简报,和演示幻灯片。内容明智,47%是原创研究,分析文章(14%),评论(11%),和评论(8%)也出席。这些文章被编码为三大类:劳动力特征/预测,特定因素分析,和劳动力机会。关于劳动力特征的文章涵盖了人口统计,地理,以及牙科卫生员的就业方面,以及使用模拟建模和地理空间分析对供需的预测。特定因素的文章调查了(1)工作环境,(2)政策/监管/培训环境,(3)工作/职业满意度和相关的人力资源问题,(4)实践范围。第三类关键文章强调了通过不同部门/环境的替代模式扩大劳动力的机会(例如,公共卫生,初级保健,长期护理,医院,移动外展,和非临床角色,包括研究,教育和领导力)以及一系列弱势群体或服务不足的人群(例如,老年和儿科人群,残疾人,那些生活在农村/偏远地区的人,土著人民,和被监禁的人)。
结论:本综述提供了牙科卫生人员现状的全面文件,编制影响需求和供应的因素,并强调加拿大和其他高收入国家牙科卫生人员的机会。这些发现为未来的研究奠定了基础,强调需要更有针对性和严格的审查,并强调需要高质量的研究来验证各种干预措施和政策的有效性。这对于解决牙科卫生人员的挑战并确保口腔保健服务的可持续性和有效性至关重要。
BACKGROUND: This study involved a scoping review to explore factors influencing dental hygienist
demand and supply in high-income countries.
METHODS: A six-stage scoping review was conducted with separate search strategies tailored to four databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and Google) plus a targeted scan of dental hygienist organization websites. This yielded 2,117 unique citations, leading to 148 articles included in the review.
RESULTS: Nearly half of the articles (47%) focused on the United States, with 11% on Canada. Most articles (91%) were in English, alongside 13 in Korean and one in French. Journal articles comprised 62% of the publications, followed by reports/working papers (11%) and websites (11%). Other types included conference abstracts, policy briefs, and presentation slides. Content-wise, 47% were original research, with analysis articles (14%), commentaries (11%), and reviews (8%) also present. The articles were coded into three main categories: workforce characteristics/projections, factor-specific analyses, and workforce opportunities. The articles on workforce characteristics covered demographic, geographic, and employment aspects of dental hygienists, along with projections for supply and
demand using simulation modelling and geospatial analyses. Factor-specific articles investigated the (1) working environment, (2) policy/regulatory/training environment, (3) job/career satisfaction and related human resource issues, and (4) scope of practice. The third key category of articles highlighted opportunities for expanding the workforce through alternative models in different sectors/settings (e.g., public health, primary care, long-term care, hospitals, mobile outreach, and non-clinical roles including research, education and leadership) and for a range of vulnerable or underserved populations (e.g., geriatric and pediatric populations, persons with disabilities, those living in rural/remote areas, Indigenous peoples, and incarcerated people).
CONCLUSIONS: This review provides a comprehensive documentation of the current state of the dental hygienist workforce, compiling factors affecting
demand and supply, and highlighting opportunities for the dental hygienist workforce in Canada and other high-income countries. The findings offer a foundation for future research, highlighting the need for more focused and rigorous reviews and underscoring the necessity of high-quality studies to verify the effectiveness of various interventions and policies. This is crucial to address dental hygienist workforce challenges and ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of oral health care delivery.