"A Patient-Centred Care of Dentist Scale: Perceptions of Dentists' in Thai Community Hospitals: A Multi-Group Analysis".

Introduction and aims: Providing high-quality dental services at the primary care level requires a patient-centred approach. However, there is a lack of specific instruments to measure PCC in this context. This study aimed to develop and validate a tool to assess patient-centred care (PCC) among dentists working in Thailand's primary care settings and to examine how personal characteristics influence PCC.

Methods: A set of 61 statements was developed for the Patient-Centred Care of Dentist Scale (PCCDS-D). Responses were collected using a Google Form. The validity and reliability of the scale were assessed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Cronbach's alpha, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Responses from dentists in large hospitals were compared with those from dentists in small hospitals. The influence of dentist attributes on PCC was examined.

Results: The randomized samples for EFA and CFA included 754 and 305 dentists, respectively. The final version of the PCCDS-D contains 36 statements across seven components: dentist-patient relationship, disease-illness, integrated care, communication, shared information and decision-making, holistic, and empathy and anxiety management. The PCCDS-D demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity, with good model fit and invariance across different dentist groups. The Cronbach's alpha and ICC were 0.94 and 0.93, respectively. The frequency of dentists practicing at primary care units (PCU) was found to influence the delivery of PCC.

Conclusions: The PCCDS-D included 36 statements across seven domains and showed consistency among dentists in various-sized hospitals. It demonstrates robust reliability and validity. Additionally, experiences gained from practicing at PCU appear to impact the delivery of PCC.