A cross-sectional analysis of patient care pathways and profiles in a dental emergency department

Abstract

Introduction Hospital dental emergency (DE) departments are assumed to improve access to emergency care. Patients use these facilities at night and during weekends, mainly because private care is not available at these times. However, motivation for using hospital care during office hours remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and care pathways of patients consulting a DE department during office hours and to identify the profiles of DE department users. Methods A descriptive cross‐sectional study was performed in the DE department of La Timone Hospital (Marseille, France). Structured interviews were conducted with 150 patients. The interview guide explored sociodemographic data, dental care behaviour, characteristics of the emergency visit, care pathway and follow‐up. Descriptive statistics and a multiple correspondence analysis were used for statistical analysis of the data collected. Results The main motivation for seeking care was pain (76%), and 59.3% of the patients attended the DE department as a first intention. The main reasons for coming to the hospital were trust in hospital practitioners (42%) and convenience of care accessibility (40.1%). Two contrasting profiles of patients were identified: young patients with a low income (regular users of DE departments, seeking acute pain relief); and elderly patients (infrequent users of DE departments, seeking follow‐up care). Conclusion This study highlighted that hospitals can be a primary pathway to DE care even though private care may be available. However, serious limitations regarding the continuity of care in the hospital exist, regardless of patient profile.

Assessment of dental anxiety levels among dental emergency patients during the COVID‑19 pandemic through the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale

“…These results confirm that pain relief is by far the main reason for attending dental emergency clinics. [22][23][24] The prevalence of DA in the present study (5.1%) was slightly lower than in previous studies (8-11.6%), as measured by means of MDAS (cut-off score ≥19). [8][9][10][11] Based on the present findings, DA was more common in females, which is in accordance with the results of previous research.…”

Dolor Endodóntico Agudo Resuelto en una Sesión

“…Los pacientes que asisten a centros de atención dental de urgencia son principalmente aquellos que no tienen seguimiento de su salud bucal y no tienen un dentista de referencia. (Guivarc'h et al, 2020). La atención de urgencia en odontología se dirige principalmente a aliviar el dolor e infección.…”