A nationwide survey of confidence and knowledge of assessment and management oral conditions amongst a sample of physicians, United Kingdom

Objective:

This study aimed to assess current confidence and knowledge of oral conditions amongst a sample of UK physicians and doctors in training programmes using a web-based survey.

Results:

131 survey responses were analysed for doctors from FY1 to consultant grade working within medical specialties. 36.6% and 35.9% of those surveyed expressed that they felt confident diagnosing and managing oral conditions respectively. The median knowledge score was 60%; 65.6% correctly identified the image that demonstrated a squamous cell carcinoma. 91.6% reported that they felt they needed additional training in the diagnosis and management of oral conditions. Neither confidence nor knowledge were affected by grade, specialty, or region of practice.