Dental Communication and Social Media: Legal and Ethical Framework
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorUniversity of Roma La Sapienza
About this trial
This observational study explores the legal and ethical boundaries of dental communication on social media, analyzing Italian regulatory evolution. Through surveys involving dental professionals and patients, it assesses awareness of advertising regulations and the impact of digital communication on the patient-practitioner relationship. The research identifies knowledge gaps regarding deceptive advertising and highlights the need for transparent, deontologically compliant digital practices to protect public health.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
For Group 1 (Dental Professionals): Registered Dentists or Dental Hygienists currently practicing in Italy.
For Group 2 (Patients): Individuals who use social media platforms and have accessed or are interested in dental healthcare information online.
For Group 3 (General Healthcare Professionals): Medical doctors and health practitioners from various specialties interested in digital communication ethics.
Age: Minimum 18 years of age.
Disqualifiers
Individuals under 18 years of age.
Individuals who do not use social media platforms.
Incomplete survey submissions where the primary data points are missing.
Healthcare professionals not registered with their respective Italian professional orders.
Trial population
The study population consists of three distinct cohorts based in Italy: * Dental healthcare providers, including licensed dentists and dental hygienists, recruited through professional networks and social media groups to ensure a broad representation of clinical experience. * A diverse group of Italian-speaking patients and social media users who interact with healthcare-related digital content. * General healthcare professionals from various medical disciplines. The sample includes adults (18+) of all genders, representing a cross-section of both information providers (practitioners) and information consumers (patients) within the digital healthcare ecosystem.
Trial design
Design model
Other
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Treatments tested in this trial
Survey using a questionnaire.
Other interventionParticipants complete an anonymous online questionnaire (Google Forms) consisting of multiple-choice and Likert-scale questions regarding healthcare communication laws, ethics, and social media usage.
Treatment groups
300 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groupsGroup A: Group 1: Dental Professionals1 intervention
Group B: Group 2: Patients1 intervention
Group C: Group 3: General Healthcare Professionals1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Level of legal and ethical awareness regarding healthcare advertising
Assessment of participants' awareness of Italian regulations and ethical principles related to healthcare advertising through a structured questionnaire developed for this study, including both knowledge-based and self-assessment items. The questionnaire will consist of: * objective items (multiple-choice questions assessing factual knowledge) * subjective items (self-reported level of information and awareness) A composite awareness score will be calculated by assigning scores on a Likert scale (e.g., 1-5) for self-assessment items
Time frame
At the time of survey completion (baseline)Sponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov