KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SPLIT SCHOOL OF MEDICINE TOWARD ORAL CAVITY CANCER

Cilj: Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je procijeniti znanje i stavove studenata dvaju studijskih programa Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Splitu, studija Medicine i Dentalne medicine, o karcinomu usne šupljine te utvrditi postoje li razlike u znanju i stavovima između studenata od treće do šeste godine unutar svakog studija te između studija. Materijali i metode: U ovom radu provedeno je presječno istraživanje, metodom upitnika. Anketni upitnik sadržavao je 16 pitanja gdje su prikupljeni opći podaci o ispitaniku u prvom dijelu, a u drugom stavovi i znanja o karcinomu usne šupljine. U istraživanju su dobrovoljno sudjelovali studenti dvaju integriranih studija Medicinskog fakulteta u Splitu, studija Medicine i Dentalne medicine. Ukupno je sudjelovalo 370 studenata, od kojih 130 s dentalne medicine i 240 s medicine. Podaci su uneseni u program Microsoft Office Excel 2007 te nakon toga obrađeni u programskom paketu STATISTICA 11.0. Rezultati: Studenti dentalne medicine znaju više o oralnom karcinomu u odnosu na studente medicine. Također je znanje studenata bolje na višim godinama studija. Studenti obaju studija ne poznaju lezije koje mogu prethoditi karcinomu usne šupljine, što ima važnu ulogu u prevenciji i ranom otkrivanju te bolesti. Mnogi studenti dentalne medicine (63; 48,5 %) i većina studenata medicine (186; 77,5 %) nikada tijekom studija nije imala mogućnost samostalnog pregleda bolesnika s prekanceroznim i kanceroznim lezijama oralne sluznice. Pogrešnom specijalistu bi, pacijenta sa sumnjivom lezijom u usnoj šupljini, poslalo devet (7,0 %) studenata dentalne medicine i 120 (50,0 %) studenata medicine.Nakon prvog pregleda pacijenta sa sumnjivom lezijom u usnoj šupljini, samo 40 (30,8 %) studenata dentalne medicine i 50 (20,8 %) studenata medicine bi uputilo pacijenta specijalistu ako lezija nije zacijelila nakon tjedan dana od liječenja. Zaključak: U ovom radu pokazali smo kako postoji razlika u znanju studenata medicine i dentalne medicine o karcinomu usne šupljine te kako se znanje mijenja s godinama studija, od treće do šeste godine. Njihova uloga kao budućih doktora dentalne medicine i medicine u prevenciji i ranom otkivanju te bolesti je jako značajna. Stoga bi studenti obaju studijskih programa trebali steći odgovarajuće znanje i vještine tijekom studijske nastave, kako bi dosljedno i pravovremeno mogli pristupiti pacijentu s potencijalno malignom promjenom usne šupljine.Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of the two study programs of the University of Split Medical School, medicine and dental medicine, toward oral cavity cancer, and to determine whether there are differences in the knowledge and attitudes between the students from the third to the sixth year studies and between each other. Materials and Methods: In this study, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using the questionnaire method. The questionnaire contained 16 questions where general data on the respondent were collected in the first part, and in the other part attitudes and knowledge toward oral cavity carcinoma. Students of two integrated studies at the Split School of Medicine, dental medicine and medicine, volunteered in the research. A total of 370 students attended, of which 130 were dental medicine and 240 in medicine. The data was entered in Microsoft Office Excel 2007 and then processed in STATISTICA 11.0. Results: The students of dental medicine know more about oral carcinoma compared to the students of medicine. The knowledge of students is also better at higher years of study. Students of both study programs do not know pre-cancerous lesions, which plays an essential role in preventing and early detection of this disease. Many dentistry students (63; 48,5 %) and most medical students (186; 77,5 %) have never independently examined the patient's oral mucous with pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions. The patient with suspicious lesion in the oral cavity would be sent to the wrong specialist of nine (7,0 %) dental students and 120 (50,0 %) medical students. Only 40 (30,8 %) of dental medicine students and 50 (20,8 %) of the medical students would have referred patients to the specialist, by the first examination of the patient with suspicious lesion in the oral cavity, if the lesion didn't heal after one week of treatment. Conclusion: In this study we have shown that there is a difference in the knowledge between medicine and dental medicine students toward oral cavity carcinoma and that knowledge changes with years of study, from the third to the sixth year. Their role as future doctors of dental medicine and medicine in preventing and early detection of this disease is very significant. The students of both studies should acquire the appropriate knowledge and skills during the studies so that they can consistently and at the right time access to the patient with a potentially malignant change in the oral cavity