Doherty N, Vivian S
J Public Health Dent. 1977 Summer;37(3):209-16. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.1977.tb02900.x.
This paper is part of a continuing study of the cost of children's dental care in a publicly funded model program. The Program--the Chattanooga Project--was designed to provide information and experience necessary for the development of similar programs elsewhere in the United States. From 1970 to 1975 comprehensive dental care was provided, at no charge, to an average of 5,500 indigent children per year. Children were treated in private practices (39%), public fixed clinics (20%), and public mobile clinics (41%). Costs were defined as public expenditures for purchasing care from private practitioners or producing care in public practices. As a framework for the analysis, program activities and their respective costs were divided into direct and indirect components. The former relate to the provision of care and the latter to noncare-oriented activities. Direct (indirect) costs per patient were $46.56 ($16.31) in private practices, $40.17 ($16.11) in fixed clinics, and $35.49 ($13.41) in mobile clinics. These results substantiate previous findings from a shorter period. A priori reasons for differences among the three modes in terms of patients' health status or the type of care provided have been specified and are currently under investigation.
本文是一项关于公共资助模式项目中儿童牙科护理成本的持续研究的一部分。该项目——查塔努加项目——旨在为美国其他地区类似项目的开展提供必要的信息和经验。1970年至1975年期间，每年平均为5500名贫困儿童免费提供全面的牙科护理。儿童在私人诊所（39%）、公共固定诊所（20%）和公共流动诊所（41%）接受治疗。成本被定义为从私人从业者那里购买护理或在公共诊所提供护理的公共支出。作为分析的框架，项目活动及其各自的成本被分为直接和间接部分。前者与护理的提供有关，后者与非护理导向的活动有关。私人诊所每位患者的直接（间接）成本为46.56美元（16.31美元），固定诊所为40.17美元（16.11美元），流动诊所为35.49美元（13.41美元）。这些结果证实了之前较短时期的研究发现。已经明确了三种模式在患者健康状况或提供的护理类型方面存在差异的先验原因，目前正在进行调查。
