European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe
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The origins of informatics lie in the development of computers and data processing techniques since the 1950s. The subsequent application of these to the practice of healthcare continues to the present day, so that information technology now holds the potential to revolutionise healthcare through more rapid and efficient management of an ever increasing quantity of clinical information. ⋯ For these systems to be clinically useful, however, they need to be properly understood by clinicians. This review paper outlines the scope of clinical informatics and argues that a grounding in clinical informatics is now essential for today's undergraduates to equip them to meet the challenge of practice in the 21st century.
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In this article, some reasons for teaching communication skills in dental schools are discussed. An overview of 3 courses at the Amsterdam dental school is presented, along with the results of a student evaluation. Students evaluated these courses as useful and relevant for dental practice. It is concluded that this is especially so when the students recognize direct applicability of the courses to dental practice.