Virtual Dental Home Maui: A Usability Study on the Teledentistry Website

Abstract

It is important to have a website designed for students to use during their volunteer activity in the Virtual Dental Home (VDH). Dental hygiene students learn about community dental health during their formal educational experience. A portion of the curriculum is dedicated to service-learning through volunteering which is encouraged by the instructor to promote experiential-learning. VDH incorporates the use of teledentistry to allow the hygienist and volunteer dental hygiene student to perform necessary dental therapy while they communicate directly with other healthcare providers. Using teledentistry, dentists and other medical personnel do not have to be physically present to care for patients. The website was purposefully designed to be simple and easy to navigate to be considerate of the student’s time. A usability study was conducted with 13 University of Hawaii Maui College students to assess the functionality and value of the website Volunteer Now! Virtual Dental Home Maui. After viewing the website, all participants strongly agreed or agreed that volunteering in VDH is now more attractive to them and they are prepared to volunteer. They all strongly agreed or agreed that they could find their way around the website, got to information quickly, and were satisfied with the design and performance of the website. The website enhances the learning experience by informing students about how VDH can provide alternative learning experiences, community service projects, and work environments.