{"title":"The Impact of COVID-19 on Dental Clinic Transmission: Leveraging Internet of Things Technology.","authors":"Banu Uygun-Can, Parla Meva Durmazpınar, Şirin Hatipoğlu, Bilge Acar-Bolat, Çağla Özen, Hesna Sazak-Öveçoğlu, Tanju Kadir","doi":"10.2147/JMDH.S499841","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study focused on the risk posed by pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers in dental clinics during the period (February-June 2022) when Covid-19 transmission was highest and aimed to investigate the effectiveness of infection control protocols in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. It also evaluated the potential of wearable sensors as part of the Internet of Things (IoT) to prevent cross-infection.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Swab samples were collected from surfaces and air filters in dental clinics and analyzed using RT-PCR both before and after disinfection processes. Clinicians also used IoT-enabled wearable sensors and completed surveys (n=100) evaluating the impact of these technologies on infection control practices. The sensors monitored clinicians' movements and patient interactions to assess cross-infection risks.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All RT-PCR tests returned negative results, indicating that no SARS-CoV-2 was detected on the sampled surfaces or air filters. Surveys revealed that 70% of resident clinicians trusted the effectiveness of wearable sensors in infection control. The technology was particularly well received among younger clinicians and was found to be effective in strengthening contact tracing, control measures, and awareness.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Strict infection control measures have contributed to preventing Covid-19 infections in dental clinics, although asymptomatic cases may still be present. These findings highlight the importance of adopting advanced technologies such as wearable sensors to support current infection control measures. With further studies, the scalability and integration of IoT technologies into routine infection control practices in diverse healthcare settings can be better understood, enhancing infection control potential and significantly contributing to the safety of healthcare workers and patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":16357,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare","volume":"18 ","pages":"1319-1334"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11889996/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S499841","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: This study focused on the risk posed by pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers in dental clinics during the period (February-June 2022) when Covid-19 transmission was highest and aimed to investigate the effectiveness of infection control protocols in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. It also evaluated the potential of wearable sensors as part of the Internet of Things (IoT) to prevent cross-infection.
Material and methods: Swab samples were collected from surfaces and air filters in dental clinics and analyzed using RT-PCR both before and after disinfection processes. Clinicians also used IoT-enabled wearable sensors and completed surveys (n=100) evaluating the impact of these technologies on infection control practices. The sensors monitored clinicians' movements and patient interactions to assess cross-infection risks.
Results: All RT-PCR tests returned negative results, indicating that no SARS-CoV-2 was detected on the sampled surfaces or air filters. Surveys revealed that 70% of resident clinicians trusted the effectiveness of wearable sensors in infection control. The technology was particularly well received among younger clinicians and was found to be effective in strengthening contact tracing, control measures, and awareness.
Conclusion: Strict infection control measures have contributed to preventing Covid-19 infections in dental clinics, although asymptomatic cases may still be present. These findings highlight the importance of adopting advanced technologies such as wearable sensors to support current infection control measures. With further studies, the scalability and integration of IoT technologies into routine infection control practices in diverse healthcare settings can be better understood, enhancing infection control potential and significantly contributing to the safety of healthcare workers and patients.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare (JMDH) aims to represent and publish research in healthcare areas delivered by practitioners of different disciplines. This includes studies and reviews conducted by multidisciplinary teams as well as research which evaluates or reports the results or conduct of such teams or healthcare processes in general. The journal covers a very wide range of areas and we welcome submissions from practitioners at all levels and from all over the world. Good healthcare is not bounded by person, place or time and the journal aims to reflect this. The JMDH is published as an open-access journal to allow this wide range of practical, patient relevant research to be immediately available to practitioners who can access and use it immediately upon publication.