IADR Abstract Archives
EXAMINING DISTANCE DECAY in EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT UTILIZATION of DENTAL CONDITIONS
Objectives: Based on the distance decay hypothesis, a patient’s travel distance from the ED correlates negatively with the decision to use an ED. While studies have examined associations of socio-economic factors with ED utilization, there is little evidence of the effect of proximity on the use of EDs for NTDCs. Thus, this study aims to estimate distance decay effects across different racial minorities and other population sub-groups in the state of Maryland.
Methods: Using Maryland State Emergency Department Database (SEDD) data pooled from 2017-2019, we tested differences in distance traveled for NTDCs and non-dental visits by patient/community characteristics including sex, age, race, day of the visit, payer type, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), location, and income. Using Poisson regression analysis, we will regress ED visitation rates on distance traveled in order to estimate the distance decay effects separately by age, sex, race and type of payer.
Results: Initial analysis indicates that residents traveled 5.7 miles for a NTDC versus 6.5 miles for a non-dental visit in 2017-2019. Compared to non-dental services, mean distances traveled for NTDCs were shorter and statistically different across sex, age-group, ethnicity/race, day of the visit, payer type, CCI and income. When compared across sub-groups, 21-44 year olds (0.85), NH Blacks (0.87), and those in the lowest income quartile (0.87) had the lowest mean ratio of distance traveled for dental to non-dental visit. The regression results will include the distance decay effects observed across different sub-groups of the Maryland population.
Conclusions: Our findings provide some that as distance to ED increases, utilization of NTDCs decreases. This may suggest the interplay of perceived need, cost, and access to dental care in the community.
Methods: Using Maryland State Emergency Department Database (SEDD) data pooled from 2017-2019, we tested differences in distance traveled for NTDCs and non-dental visits by patient/community characteristics including sex, age, race, day of the visit, payer type, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), location, and income. Using Poisson regression analysis, we will regress ED visitation rates on distance traveled in order to estimate the distance decay effects separately by age, sex, race and type of payer.
Results: Initial analysis indicates that residents traveled 5.7 miles for a NTDC versus 6.5 miles for a non-dental visit in 2017-2019. Compared to non-dental services, mean distances traveled for NTDCs were shorter and statistically different across sex, age-group, ethnicity/race, day of the visit, payer type, CCI and income. When compared across sub-groups, 21-44 year olds (0.85), NH Blacks (0.87), and those in the lowest income quartile (0.87) had the lowest mean ratio of distance traveled for dental to non-dental visit. The regression results will include the distance decay effects observed across different sub-groups of the Maryland population.
Conclusions: Our findings provide some that as distance to ED increases, utilization of NTDCs decreases. This may suggest the interplay of perceived need, cost, and access to dental care in the community.