Correction: What influences the clinical decision-making of dentists? A cross-sectional study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

What influences the clinical decision-making of dentists? A cross-sectional study.

Clinical decision-making is a complex process influenced by clinical and non-clinical factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between provider, patient, and practice factors with clinical decision-making among dentists in Ontario, Canada's most populated province and its largest dental care market. This was a cross-sectional, self-administered survey of a random sample of general dentists in Ontario (n = 3,201).

Does competition affect the clinical decision-making of dentists? A geospatial analysis.

Objectives: To investigate the association between dentists' geographic density and perceptions of market competition with clinical decision-making among a representative sample of dentists in Ontario, Canada's most populated province.

Methods: Competition was quantified using dentist density, defined as the number of dental clinics lying within a one kilometre radius around the respondents' clinic address and by self-reported perceived pressure from other dental clinics. The outcome (clinical decision-making or treatment intensity) was measured using a set of clinical scenarios, which categorized dentists as either relatively aggressive or conservative.

Perceived professional roles and implications for clinical decision-making.

Objectives: This study aims to (a) investigate the relationship between dentists' perceived professional role (PPR), defined as the belief that they are health care professionals versus business people, and treatment intensity, determined by the aggressiveness of clinical approaches, such as in number or scope, and (b) identify the demographic and practice characteristics that have a relationship to PPR.

Methods: A 46-item survey with questions on dentists' demographic and professional characteristics was mailed to a random sample of 3,201 general dentists in Ontario, Canada. PPR was measured by visual analog scale and by Likert-type scale questions, which have been validated in the literature in terms of their ability to measure PPR.

PCB levels and trends within the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie basin: a historical perspective of ecosystem monitoring.

An international workshop held in the spring of 2002 convened a group of technical experts to address monitoring, modeling, and management of PCBs within the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie basin. Participants shared and discussed a diverse set of research data bases pertaining to PCB levels within the region, discussed observed changes within different components of the local ecosystem, and identified several primary issues impacting future PCB management strategies. Results presented at the workshop indicate dramatic reductions in PCB contamination levels have been observed in much of study area between the late 1970s and mid-1990s.