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Impact of dental therapists on productivity and finances: III. FQHC-run, school-based dental care programs in Connecticut.
- Source :
-
Journal of dental education [J Dent Educ] 2012 Aug; Vol. 76 (8), pp. 1077-81. - Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- In many developed countries, the primary role of dental therapists is to care for children in school clinics. This article describes Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)-run, school-based dental programs in Connecticut and explores the theoretical financial impact of substituting dental therapists for dentists in these programs. In schools, dental hygienists screen children and provide preventive services, using portable equipment and temporary space. Children needing dentist services are referred to FQHC clinics or to FQHC-employed dentists who provide care in schools. The primary findings of this study are that school-based programs have considerable potential to reduce access disparities and the estimated reduction in per patient costs approaches 50 percent versus providing care in FQHC dental clinics. In terms of substituting dental therapists for dentists, the estimated additional financial savings was found to be about 5 percent. Nationally, FQHC-operated, school-based dental programs have the potential to increase Medicaid/CHIP utilization from the current 40 percent to 60 percent for a relatively modest increase in total expenditures.
- Subjects :
- Child
Community Health Centers economics
Community Health Centers organization & administration
Connecticut
Cost Savings
Dental Auxiliaries economics
Dental Clinics economics
Dental Hygienists economics
Dentists economics
Financial Management organization & administration
Health Services Accessibility economics
Health Services Accessibility organization & administration
Healthcare Disparities economics
Humans
Medicaid economics
Medicaid organization & administration
Medically Uninsured
Personnel Selection economics
Poverty
School Dentistry economics
Schools economics
Schools organization & administration
United States
Dental Auxiliaries organization & administration
Dental Clinics organization & administration
Efficiency, Organizational
Financial Management economics
School Dentistry organization & administration
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1930-7837
- Volume :
- 76
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of dental education
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 22855594