Observed Factors Affecting Prevention in Dental Practice

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

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Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Identification of mutable factors associated with the delivery of preventive services by dentists in general practice is the subject of this study. Identification of such factors will lead to the design, implementation, and evaluation of interventions that will improve preventive services provided in general dental practice. The conceptual framework for factor identification is that provided by Andersen in the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. This study of dental practice will be focused on 120 Ohio dental practices that are part of the first dental practice research network to be organized in the United States. The methodology includes a direct observation technique developed at UC Davis and utilized at CWRU for the study of Family Medical Practice. Data concerning dental practice will be gathered by two teams of dental hygienists observing dentists and hygienists in each office for 3 days. Approximately 6000 patient visits will be observed. The direct observation will utilize the Davis Observation Code, a well-tested instrument to record physician behavior, adapted to dental practice. Data also will be collected utilizing information from patient questionnaires, practitioner surveys, billing data, and qualitative reporting. Comparison of information gathered by different methods will indicate the least expensive accurate methods for collecting various kinds of information about dental practice. Hypotheses will be tested concerning the association of preventive service delivery with risk for oral disease, delivery of esthetic services, dentists' beliefs about the importance of tobacco counseling, the socioeconomic status of patients, and the ethnicity of the dentist. This first large scale study utilizing a dental practice research network will provide statistically significant data concerning factors that influence provision of preventive services (counseling and procedures) to patients in actual practice settings. [unreadable] [unreadable]