IADR Abstract Archives
Analysis of Oral Health Care in Limpopo Province
Objectives:
Assess oral health service delivery in the public sector in Limpopo Province.
Structure a framework for participatory assessment and recommendations.
Methods: This was cross-sectional, explorative and descriptive study using combination of qualitative and quantitative data assessing oral health service delivery in Limpopo Province. Data collection included reviewing health policy documents; reviewing patients-clinical-charts; administration of self-administered questionnaire to providers of oral health services and their District Managers, and face-to-face interview with the Provincial Manager of oral health care.
Health policy documents were purposively selected, five hundred clinical files were systematically selected. Purposive sampling was used to select District Managers (n=5) and the Provincial Manager of oral health. Simple random sampling was used to select oral health care providers (n=84).
Results: Health policy documents indicated inconsistency in the inclusion of oral health statements. The clinical patients-chart-review indicated that dental caries was the most common complaint (n=298, 60%). The most common clinical procedure across all five districts was dental extractions (n=324, 64%). Themes arising from data analysis included lack of policy support; no dedicated funding; and poor oral health representation within different levels of the health system.
Conclusions: There is urgent need to review oral health planning in Limpopo Province. This requires re-orientation of oral health services towards committed prevention and promotion. Collaboration and targeted integration of oral health care into Primary Health Care, could be plausible solutions to the current human resource shortages in oral health services in Limpopo Province.
Assess oral health service delivery in the public sector in Limpopo Province.
Structure a framework for participatory assessment and recommendations.
Methods: This was cross-sectional, explorative and descriptive study using combination of qualitative and quantitative data assessing oral health service delivery in Limpopo Province. Data collection included reviewing health policy documents; reviewing patients-clinical-charts; administration of self-administered questionnaire to providers of oral health services and their District Managers, and face-to-face interview with the Provincial Manager of oral health care.
Health policy documents were purposively selected, five hundred clinical files were systematically selected. Purposive sampling was used to select District Managers (n=5) and the Provincial Manager of oral health. Simple random sampling was used to select oral health care providers (n=84).
Results: Health policy documents indicated inconsistency in the inclusion of oral health statements. The clinical patients-chart-review indicated that dental caries was the most common complaint (n=298, 60%). The most common clinical procedure across all five districts was dental extractions (n=324, 64%). Themes arising from data analysis included lack of policy support; no dedicated funding; and poor oral health representation within different levels of the health system.
Conclusions: There is urgent need to review oral health planning in Limpopo Province. This requires re-orientation of oral health services towards committed prevention and promotion. Collaboration and targeted integration of oral health care into Primary Health Care, could be plausible solutions to the current human resource shortages in oral health services in Limpopo Province.