Research from Dental Research Institute Has Provided New Study Findings on Dentistry (Painless cost control as a central strategy for universal oral health coverage: A critical review with policy guide): Dentistry

2024 JUN 03 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- New research on dentistry is the subject of a new report. According to news reporting out of the Dental Research Institute by NewsRx editors, research stated, “This study aimed to critically review the methods used to control the significantly increasing costs of dental care. Through a comprehensive search of the available literature, the cost control (CC) mechanisms for health services were identified from a healthcare system perspective.”

Funders for this research include Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Dental Research Institute: “The probable applicability of each CC method was evaluated mainly based on its potential contribution to oral health promotion. Each mechanism was then classified and discussed under any of the two headings of financing and service provision. An operational guide was finally presented for policy-making in each of the three main models of healthcare systems, including National Health Services, social/public health insurance and private insurance. From a total of 142 articles/reports retrieved in PubMed, 73 in Scopus and 791 in Google Scholar, 35 were included in the final review after eliminating the duplicates and screening process. Totally ten mechanisms were identified for CC of dental care. Seven were discussed under the financing function, including cost sharing, preauthorization, mixed payment method and an evidence-based approach to benefit package definition, among others. Three further methods were classified under the service provision function, including workforce skill mix with emphasis on primary oral healthcare providers, development of primary healthcare (PHC) network and an appropriate use of tele-dentistry.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Painless control of dental expenditures requires a smart integration of prevention into the CC plans. The suggested policy guide emphasizes organizational factors; particularly including the development of PHC-based networks with midlevel providers (desirably extended-duty dental hygienists) as the frontline oral healthcare providers.”

For more information on this research see: Painless cost control as a central strategy for universal oral health coverage: A critical review with policy guide. International Journal of Dental Hygiene, 2024. The publisher for International Journal of Dental Hygiene is Wiley.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.1111/idh.12818.

Our news journalists report that more information may be obtained by contacting Bahareh Tahani, Department of Oral Public Health, Dental Research Center, Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry Isfahan University of Medical Sciences Isfahan Iran. Additional authors for this research include Mohammad-Pooyan Jadidfard.

ORCID is an identifier for authors and includes bibliographic information. The following is ORCID information for the authors of this research: Bahareh Tahani (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7280-0646), Mohammad-Pooyan Jadidfard (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7438-8376).

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)