Dental Communication and Social Media: Legal and Ethical Framework

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Survey using a questionnaire.: Participants complete an anonymous online questionnaire (Google Forms) consisting of multiple-choice and Likert-scale questions regarding healthcare communication laws, ethics, and social media usage.

Study summary

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

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Level of legal and ethical awareness regarding healthcare advertising — At the time of survey completion (baseline)
  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

Trial sites (1)

More University of Roma La Sapienza trials in Italy