Knowledge and awareness of dental professionals regarding Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) in India- A systematic review
Main Article Content
Keywords
Awareness, Knowledge, Insurance, Jurisprudence, Dentistry
Abstract
Background: In recent times, patients have become more aware of their rights, and this has led to significant rise in the
compensation cases against doctors. Due to the nature of the work and costs involved in the treatment, dental
professionals are at high risk of facing such medical negligence cases. Therefore, the present study was conducted to
assess knowledge and awareness regarding professional indemnity insurance (PII) among dental professionals in India.
Methodology: A systematic review of relevant cross-sectional observational studies was conducted among dental
professionals in India to report their knowledge and awareness regarding PII. Eight studies out of 98 were finally
included in the review after conducting both electronic and manual search of scientific databases and making necessary
exclusions. Potential biases were addressed and relevant data regarding PII data was extracted by the investigators
concerned.
Results: More than 60% of subjects had knowledge regarding PII in one of the study reports. Only 0.5% of subjects had
taken PII in one of the studies and merely 8% in the other study. One of the studies mentioned that 76.2% of subjects
paid compensation to their patients for negligence during dental treatment. Main hurdles for not opting PII were
unawareness and considering PII non-mandatory for dentists. More than 90% of subjects in one study showed interest in
buying PII for themselves.
Conclusion: The results of the present review reveal that less than half of the subjects in some studies reported a lack of
knowledge regarding PII and very few had taken PII. Therefore, there is an urgent need to make dental professionals
aware of the benefits of obtaining PII to safeguard themselves from various litigation issues.
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