**6.4 Effect of clinical training**

A total of 171 medical ICTs were used in all clinical departments in 3 months (66 actual days excluding holidays). Of these, the numbers of requests for CBCT and DPR imaging were 126 and 45, respectively. Medical ICT has been used in approximately 700 cases (January 2021). The average daily medical ICT utilization rate for all clinical departments was 2.6 cases/day. For example, in the case of dental hospitals of Nihon University, telemedicine is used approximately 10 cases a month. Because of the difference in medical conditions in Japan and Laos, it is not possible to simply compare them, but the number of telemedicine cases in Laos tended to be larger. These results suggested the possibility that the use of DPR and CBCT in university hospitals has a positive effect on access to dental imaging in Laos. After this 90-day test period, we interviewed 10 hospital faculty members about the advantages and problems of telemedicine using the questionnaire (**Table 1**).

Respondents listed three points, "accuracy of diagnosis", "improvement in patient satisfaction", and "increase in the number of patients" as the effect of using telemedicine. The evaluation of medical ICT seemed to be positive. Use of tablet terminals may promote the sharing of digital medical imaging data between university hospital and dentists or dentists and patients, in the dental fields.

However, they pointed out three problems, "communication speed", "image accuracy", and "complexity of operations and the system". The reasons of these problems were the internet environment (low capacity) and operation of the mobile tablet terminal (inexperienced).

All respondents answered "Yes, I think so very much" for the question on the usefulness of telemedicine in their country. They seemed to understand the need for telemedicine through clinical training.

Given these results, we continued discussions to improve the problems of medical ICT in the hospital. As a result of the discussion, we were able to agree on problem extraction and countermeasures (**Figure 8**). As a future development, we will support the spread of digital medical imaging diagnosis by improving medical ICT under the plan-do-check-act cycle.


#### **Table 1.**

*Advantages and problems of telemedicine.*

*Empirical Study on Medical Information and Communication Technology System in Dentistry… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101080*

#### **Figure 8.**

*Improvement of medical ICT system based on opinions from faculty members.*

Outcome of this project that lasts 10 years suggest an importance to share the common goal of training specialists under the international collaboration.

For the introduction of medical ICT in community medicine, it is necessary to further examine the clinical evidence. As the further step, we will continue to develop the network of teleradiology in order to contribute sustainable oral health in Laos.
