Preferences Related to the Use of Mobile Apps as Dental Patient Educational Aids: A Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: Numerous patient education apps have been developed to explain dental treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess perceptions and preferences regarding the use of apps in dental settings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four patient education apps describing fixed partial dentures were demonstrated to participants (N = 25). Questions about each app were asked using a semi-structured interview format to assess participants' opinions about each app's content, images, features, and use. Sessions were analyzed via note-based methods for thematic coding.

RESULTS: Participants believed that apps should be used in conjunction with a dentist's explanation about a procedure. They desired an app that could be tailored for scope of content. Participants favored esthetic images of teeth that did not show structural anatomy, such as tooth roots, and preferred interactive features.

CONCLUSIONS: Patient education apps may be a valuable tool to enhance patient-provider communication in dental settings. Participants exhibited varying preferences for different features among the apps and expressed the desire for an app that could be personalized to each patient. Additional research is needed to assess whether the use of apps improves oral health literacy and informed consent among patients.