Utilisation of dental services for people with special health care needs in Australia

Abstract

Background To explore the profile of patients and treatment delivered at specialist referral centres for individuals with special needs. Methods A cross-sectional audit was conducted of the health records of all patients with appointments at two of Australia’s largest referral centres for patients with special needs, the Integrated Special Needs Department at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and the Special Needs Unit at the Adelaide Dental Hospital, for the month of August 2015. Results The profile of patients treated at these specialist units demonstrates the diversity of individuals with additional health care needs that general dentists feel require specialised oral health care. The Adelaide-based clinic had a greater proportion of complex medical patients in comparison to those treated in Melbourne who were more likely to have a disability or psychiatric condition and were less likely to be able to self-consent for treatment. Interestingly, despite similar workforce personnel numbers, there were approximately twice as many appointments at the Special Needs Unit in Adelaide than the Integrated Special Needs Department in Melbourne during the study period which may have reflected differences in workforce composition with a greater use of dental auxiliaries at the Adelaide clinic. Conclusions The results of this study provide an initial profile of patients with special needs referred for specialist care in Australia. However, the differences in patient profiles between the two units require further investigation into the possible influence of service provision models and barriers to access of care for individuals with special needs and to ensure equitable access to health care.

Factors associated with the waiting time for access to specialized oral healthcare services in Brazil

“…These are positive factors, especially if we consider all the difficulties that the PNS patient has to go to health services. These findings add to the current knowledge about care with PSN, which points to the need to delve deeper into the possible influence of service delivery models and barriers to accessing care for individuals with special needs and to ensure equitable access to health care 23 …”

Specialist Networks Influence Clinician Willingness to Treat Individuals with Special Needs

“…All participants felt that being part of the Network improved their own willingness and perceived ability to manage this group of patients but also that it improved their ability to support other clinicians working with them. Although the current study may not be able to attest to these changes with respect to referral patterns, the impact of the Network has been demonstrated in the profile of patients managed at SNU in comparison to other specialist units in Australia, with the lower proportion of disability patients attending SNU reflective of those treated instead at local community clinics as part of continuum of their ongoing care and maintenance between the specialist service and dentists working in the community (Lim et al 2020).…”

Caregivers’ Perspectives on Transitioning Dental Care for Adolescents with Special Healthcare Needs–A Cross-Sectional Study

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