北卡罗来纳州儿科牙医和普通牙医的牙科急诊实践特征

Brecher Erica A, Keels Martha Ann, Quiñonez Rocio B, Roberts Michael W, Bordley William Clay

Assistant professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Richmond, Va., USA;, Email:

Adjunct associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, and an adjunct professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, in N.C., USA.

Pediatr Dent. 2017 Mar 15;39(2):111-117.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to assess after-hours practice characteristics of pediatric dentists (PDs) and general dentists (GDs) and determine how patients-of-record obtain after-hours emergency dental care.

METHODS

A 29-item survey was electronically distributed to PDs and GDs in North Carolina in September 2014. Demographics and after-hours emergency practice characteristics were assessed. Survey respondents were subsequently called after-hours to validate reported after-hours emergency protocol. Descriptive and bivariate statistics compared responses from PDs and GDs. Concordance between survey and telephone responses was analyzed.

RESULTS

Eighty-six (46 percent) PDs and 1,199 (36 percent) GDs completed the survey; 86 (100 percent) and 1,015 (85 percent) met inclusion criteria, respectively. Most dentists allowed patients to reach them via pager/cell phone after-hours (82.1 percent of PDs, 72.8 percent of GDs; P=0.04). More PDs than GDs had established after-hours emergency protocols (95.3 percent versus 56.7 percent, P<0.001), practiced in a group (71.1 percent versus 40.9 percent, P<0.001), and shared call (64.0 percent versus 30.1 percent, P<0.001). Telephone and survey responses significantly differed for GDs (P<0.001) but not PDs (P=0.14).

CONCLUSIONS

After-hours emergency care is an important component of a comprehensive dental home. More pediatric dentists than general dentists provided after-hours emergency dental care. Survey and telephone responses were more consistent and favorable for PDs than GDs. This highlights gaps in emergency dental practice and breakdown of the dental home.

目的

本研究旨在评估儿科牙医（PDs）和普通牙医（GDs）的非工作时间执业特点，并确定在册患者如何获得非工作时间的紧急牙科护理。

方法

2014年9月，通过电子方式向北卡罗来纳州的儿科牙医和普通牙医发放了一份包含29个条目的调查问卷。对人口统计学和非工作时间紧急执业特点进行了评估。随后在非工作时间致电调查受访者，以验证报告的非工作时间紧急预案。使用描述性和双变量统计方法比较儿科牙医和普通牙医的回答。分析了调查与电话回复之间的一致性。

结果

86名（46%）儿科牙医和1199名（36%）普通牙医完成了调查；分别有86名（100%）和1015名（85%）符合纳入标准。大多数牙医允许患者在非工作时间通过传呼机/手机联系到他们（82.1%的儿科牙医，72.8%的普通牙医；P=0.04）。建立非工作时间紧急预案的儿科牙医比普通牙医更多（95.3%对56.7%，P<0.001），在团体诊所执业的更多（71.1%对40.9%，P<0.001），并且共享值班的更多（64.0%对30.1%，P<0.001）。普通牙医的电话回复与调查回复存在显著差异（P<0.001），而儿科牙医则没有（P=0.14）。