Journal article
Supply of care by dental therapists and emergency dental consultations in Alaska native communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta: a mixed methods evaluation
Community dental health, Vol.37(3), pp.190-198
09/01/2020
DOI: 10.1922/CDH_00022Chi09
PMID: 32673470
Abstract
Objectives: Examine the relationship between supply of care provided by dental therapists and emergency dental consultations in Alaska Native communities. Methods: Explanatory sequential mixed-methods study using Alaska Medicaid and electronic health record (EHR) data from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC), and interview data from six Alaska Native communities. From the Medicaid data, we estimated community-level dental therapy treatment days and from the EHR data we identified emergency dental consultations. We calculated Spearman partial correlation coefficients and ran confounder-adjusted models for children and adults. Interview data collected from YKHC providers (N=16) and community members (N=125) were content analysed. The quantitative and qualitative data were integrated through connecting. Results were visualized with a joint display. Results: There were significant negative correlations between dental therapy treatment days and emergency dental consultations for children (partial rank correlation = -0.48; p<0.001) and for adults (partial rank correlation = -0.18; p=0.03). Six pediatric themes emerged: child-focused health priorities; school-based dental programs; oral health education and preventive behaviors; dental care availability; healthier teeth; and satisfaction with care. There were four adult themes: satisfaction with care; adults as a lower priority; difficulties getting appointments; and limited scope of practice of dental therapy. Conclusions: Alaska Native children, and to a lesser extent adults, in communities served more intensively by dental therapists have benefitted. There are high levels of unmet dental need as evidenced by high emergency dental consultation rates. Future research should identify ways to address unmet dental needs, especially for adults.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Supply of care by dental therapists and emergency dental consultations in Alaska native communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta: a mixed methods evaluation
- Creators
- Donald L. Chi - University of WashingtonLloyd Mancl - University of WashingtonScarlett Hopkins - Oregon Health & Science UniversityCameron L. Randall - University of WashingtonEliza Orr - University of WashingtonEllen Zahlis - University of WashingtonMatthew Dunbar - University of WashingtonDane Lenaker - Southeast Alaska Regional Health ConsortiumMichael Babb - University of Washington
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Community dental health, Vol.37(3), pp.190-198
- Publisher
- F D I World Dental Press Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1922/CDH_00022Chi09
- PMID
- 32673470
- ISSN
- 0265-539X
- eISSN
- 2515-1746
- Number of pages
- 9
- Grant note
- Pew Charitable Trusts K08DE020856; T90DE021984 / U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University Rasmuson Foundation William T. Grant Foundation Scholars Program W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/01/2020
- Academic Unit
- Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9984283708802771
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