Factors related to the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients with blood‐borne diseases

This study aimed to explore, using groups of simulated patients, the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients with blood‐borne diseases. Simulated patients conducted a telephone survey of a random sample of dentists registered with the Palestinian Dental Association. A random system was used to assign dentists to one of two groups, in which simulated patients randomly identified themselves with either human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) and asked for a dental appointment. Three‐hundred and four dentists (76%) responded to our telephone survey. Sixty‐six per cent accepted requests for appointments and 34% declined the appointment requests. Sixty‐eight per cent of the dentists declined appointment requests from patients with HIV and 32% declined appointments from patients with HBV. Dentist's gender, ‘blood‐borne disease type’, ‘place of private practice’, ‘country of graduation’ and ‘years since graduation’ were all significant predictors in the final logistic model. More than one‐third of our respondents declined appointment requests from patients with blood‐borne disease, two‐thirds of which were for patients who identified themselves as having HIV. Education and training programmes are needed to improve attitudes of dentists – especially female dentists, older dentists and dentists practising in northern governorates – towards patients with blood‐borne diseases.