Development of a Competency Model for Dental Infection Preventionists
Eun‐Sol Kim, Gyeong‐Soon HanABSTRACT
Objective
Dental procedures often involve blood, saliva and aerosols, raising the risk of healthcare‐associated infections. However, a competency framework for dental infection preventionists is lacking. This study aimed to develop a model tailored to infection control in dental settings.
Methods
A three‐round Delphi survey was conducted with a panel of 14 dental infection control practitioners and educators. The proposed competency elements were evaluated for importance and relevance using a 5‐point Likert scale. The criteria for consensus were set as Content Validity Ratio (CVR) ≥ 0.51, agreement level ≥ 0.75 and convergence ≤ 0.50.
Results
The final model comprised six core competencies—‘Identification of Infectious Diseases,’ ‘Surveillance and Investigation,’ ‘Dental Infection Prevention and Control,’ ‘Dental Occupational Safety Management,’ ‘Research and Planning,’ and ‘Professional Development’—along with 20 sub‐competencies and 125 competency indicators. A high level of agreement among experts was achieved (CVR ≥ 0.71), and the consensus level was further enhanced through repeated Delphi rounds.
Conclusion
The developed competency model provides a systematic foundation for the education and deployment of dental infection control specialists. It can serve as a practical resource for enhancing infection prevention and control effectiveness and improving patient safety in dental care settings.