Working with the most innovative technology and continuously updating knowledge are important factors for dentists in the development of their profession. However, aspects such as communication, empathy or trust are fundamental when it comes to providing the best patient care.

Aware of the importance of the personal factor in patient satisfaction, researchers from the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Dentistry have designed a tool capable of evaluating the most human dimensions in dental treatment.

The article “Evaluation of relational factor in patient satisfaction with the treatment received by dental students” collects the main conclusions obtained after reviewing the literature and designing a questionnaire to evaluate patient satisfaction with the empathy of dental students. Led by Ignacio Macpherson, a researcher at the Bioethics Unit of the Faculty of Humanities, the study had the collaboration of Lluís Giner, dean of the Faculty of Dentistry; Elisa Sanagustin, researcher and manager of the Faculty; and Maria Victoria Roqué, researcher at the Bioethics Unit of the Faculty of Humanities.

Using the doctoral thesis of Elisa Sanagustin as a starting point, the researchers carried out a quantitative and qualitative analysis to evaluate the satisfaction of the patients attended by students of last year of dentistry through a questionnaire completed at the end of the consultation.

The results highlight that, although technical competence and quality of treatment are fundamental, patients value the quality of interpersonal interaction. Specifically, patients who experienced clear communication, empathetic care and a positive relationship with dentistry students who attended them expressed significantly higher levels of satisfaction.

As the authors of the study confirm, “the results obtained highlight the relevance of the most human dimensions in health relations and show the importance of training future dental professionals in the acquisition of humanistic competencies that optimise the relationship between the dentist and the patient.”