Frisktandvård : En enkätstudie om tandvårdsanställdas attityder och avtalshantering

Sammanfattning: Prepaid dental care - a questionnaire on dentalstaff attitudes and contract management   Abstract Background: In order to get young people to maintain a continued regular contact with dental care, after they are regarded as paying adults, prepaid dental care was introduced in Västra Götaland in 2007. Prepaid dental care is a payment model in which patients pay a specific amount for their dental care over a three-year period, monthly or annually. Since prepaid dental care is a major part of the daily work in public dental care, it is important to examine the dental staff's attitudes to this payment model.  Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the dental staff's handling of prepaid dental care and their attitudes regarding this payment model in the Public Dental Service in Region Kalmar County. Method: A questionnaire study based on a quantitative approach with certain issues analysed by qualitative method was performed. Surveys were sent to all employees at all 18 general dental clinics belonging to Region Kalmar County Public dental service. In total 133 employees answered the questionnaire.  Result: Respondents generally had a positive view on prepaid dental care. Regarded as positive was for example the opportunity of regular individualized treatment independent of costs. The main drawback, according to the respondents, was that patients who do not have prepaid dental care are not given any priority for being summoned for examination. Most respondents offer contracts to the majority of the patients and regardless of the price class. Conclusion: Prepaid dental care was considered positive, favouring both the clinic and the patients who chose this payment model. Although it should be taken into consideration that patients without prepaid dental care are not prioritised to be summoned for treatment compared to patients with prepaid dental care. The majority of the respondents are in agreement that prepaid dental care can impair the care situation of patients without contract.     Keywords: Dental Insurance payment, Dental staff, Prepaid dental care, R2, Region Kalmar Län