IADR Abstract Archives
How Much Patients Value Faculty Dental Service?
Objectives: How much patients value different types (public vs. private) and attributes of a dental service is very important for setting the appropriate priorities in provision of health care services, especially considering the increasing financial pressure on the public health system and need to seek alternative funding sources.
Methods: A discrete choice experiment was used to investigate patients’ preferences for dental treatment at the School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, which is currently provided without any out-of-pocket costs. Two alternative faculty dental services that differed in the levels of experience of a working dentist, treatment explanation, dental staff behavior, waiting time and treatment cost were described to patients. Having the same treatment in the private dental office, at the average market price of 66 euros, was offered as a third alternative. Patients (n=271) were asked to choose their preferred alternative. Mixed logit and latent class models were used for analysis.
Results: On average, patients valued treatment explanation the most, and would be willing to pay 39 euros for getting a detailed explanation over no explanation. Professor’s service was valued 27 euros more than a student’s service. They would be willing to pay 26 euros for polite and attentive over formal staff behavior, and dispreferred longer waiting times, but this was less important characteristic. Four classes of patients were identified with distinct preferences for type of service, working dentist, treatment explanation and price. Only 8% of patients belonged to a class that preferred a service in private dental offices.
Conclusions: Importance of a working dentist over treatment explanation increased with age and education of patients. Findings suggest that student’s service should be accompanied by very detailed explanation and lower price, while professor’s service could be less attentive to explanation and waiting time, and with a price competitive to majority of private dental offices.
Methods: A discrete choice experiment was used to investigate patients’ preferences for dental treatment at the School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, which is currently provided without any out-of-pocket costs. Two alternative faculty dental services that differed in the levels of experience of a working dentist, treatment explanation, dental staff behavior, waiting time and treatment cost were described to patients. Having the same treatment in the private dental office, at the average market price of 66 euros, was offered as a third alternative. Patients (n=271) were asked to choose their preferred alternative. Mixed logit and latent class models were used for analysis.
Results: On average, patients valued treatment explanation the most, and would be willing to pay 39 euros for getting a detailed explanation over no explanation. Professor’s service was valued 27 euros more than a student’s service. They would be willing to pay 26 euros for polite and attentive over formal staff behavior, and dispreferred longer waiting times, but this was less important characteristic. Four classes of patients were identified with distinct preferences for type of service, working dentist, treatment explanation and price. Only 8% of patients belonged to a class that preferred a service in private dental offices.
Conclusions: Importance of a working dentist over treatment explanation increased with age and education of patients. Findings suggest that student’s service should be accompanied by very detailed explanation and lower price, while professor’s service could be less attentive to explanation and waiting time, and with a price competitive to majority of private dental offices.