Native-born versus foreign-born patients' perception of communication and care in Swedish dental service.

Abstract

Like many other countries Sweden is becoming more multicultural and many residents do not fully master the national language and are not completely familiar with national norms and habits. The key to good interaction between dentists and patients is communication. Therefore this study aimed to examine whether there are differences in the experience of communication and care between native-born (NB) and foreign-born (FB) patients in the Swedish Public Dental Service (PDS). Consecutive patients at four PDS clinics in a major Swedish city (Gothenburg) were asked to complete the Dental Visit Satisfaction Scale (DVSS), eight additional items concerning communication and care, and a questionnaire eliciting background information.The questionnaires were available in English, Swedish, Arabic and Farsi. The response rate was 74% (204 patients, mean age: 42 years, range 18-86). Of the participants, 96 (47%) were NB and 108 (53%) were FB; 80 (40%) were men and 121 (60%) women. The NB group was significantly older, had higher education and more regular dental care habits, and reported higher dental fear than the FB group. Fewer FB than NB patients thought the dentist treated them in the same manner as he or she would treat other patients and this applied particularly to those who had lived in Sweden for more than 5 years. FB patients were as satisfied with the information and communication they received from the dentist as those born in Sweden, but they were more sceptical about the dentist's technical competence. The differences between the two groups were otherwise smaller than might have been expected in view of probable language difficulties and differences in dental care background.