A Teledentistry Pilot Study on Patient-Initiated Care
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Implementation of Teledentistry at DHSV
2.2. Telehealth Platform
2.3. Medico-Legal Implications
2.4. Launch of Teledentistry Patient Service Delivery Model
3. Results
3.1. Teledentistry Patient Service Utilisation
3.2. Teledentistry Attendance Rates
3.3. Telehealth Patient-Reported Experience Measures
4. Discussion
4.1. Reducing Oral Health Inequities through DHSV’s Teledentistry Services
4.2. Challenges and Lessons from Implementing Teledentistry
4.3. Sustainability of Teledentistry
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Variable Category | Variable Category | Attended Appointment n (%) | FTA Appointment n(%) | All * n (%) | % Attendance | % FTA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall sample | 2094 | 398 | 2492 | 84.0 | 16.0 | |
Age groups (years) | 0–5 | 75 (3.6) | 2 (0.5) | 77 (3.1) | 97.4 | 2.6 |
6–12 | 88 (4.2) | 11 (2.8) | 99 (4.0) | 88.9 | 11.1 | |
13–17 | 50 (2.4) | 10 (2.5) | 60 (2.4) | 83.3 | 16.7 | |
18–24 | 307 (14.7) | 56 (14.1) | 363 (14.6) | 84.6 | 15.4 | |
25–44 | 825 (39.4) | 173 (43.5) | 998 (40.1) | 82.7 | 17.3 | |
45–64 | 498 (23.8) | 98 (24.6) | 596 (23.9) | 83.6 | 16.4 | |
65+ | 251 (12.0) | 48 (12.1) | 299 (12) | 83.9 | 16.1 | |
Gender | Male | 868 (41.5) | 153 (38.4) | 1021 (41) | 85.0 | 15.0 |
Female | 1224 (58.5) | 244 () | 1468 (58.9) | 83.4 | 16.6 | |
Other | 2 (0.1) | 1 (0.3) | 3 (0.1) | # 66.7 | # 33.3 | |
Card status | Healthcare card | 1029 (49.1) | 194 (48.7) | 1223 (49.1) | 84.1 | 15.9 |
Pensioner card | 895 (42.7) | 182 (45.7) | 1077 (43.2) | 83.1 | 16.9 | |
DVA pens card | 1 (0.1) | 3 (0.75) | 4 (0.2) | # 25 | # 75 | |
No card | 169 (8.1) | 19 (4.8) | 188 (7.5) | 89.9 | 10.1 | |
Country of birth | Australia | 1225 (58.5) | 198 (49.8) | 1423 (57.1) | 86.1 | 13.9 |
Not Australia | 799 (38.2) | 163 (40.9) | 962 (38.6) | 83.1 | 16.9 | |
Not stated or Inadequately described | 70 (3.3) | 37 (9.3) | 107 (4.3) | 65.4 | 34.6 | |
Preferred language | English | 1893 (90.4) | 361 (90.7) | 2254 (90.5) | 84.0 | 16.0 |
Not English | 185 (8.8) | 34 (8.5) | 219 (8.8) | 84.5 | 15.5 | |
Not stated/ Inadequately described | 16 (0.8) | 3 (0.8) | 19 (0.8) | 84.2 | 15.8 | |
Interpreter required | Yes | 128 (6.1) | 28 (7.0) | 156 (6.3) | 82.1 | 17.9 |
No | 1966 (93.9) | 370 (93) | 2366 (93.7) | 84.2 | 15.8 | |
Indigenous status | ATSI | 93 (4.4) | 22 (5.5) | 115 (4.6) | 80.9 | 19.1 |
Non-ATSI | 1954 (93.3) | 374 (94) | 2328 (93.4) | 83.9 | 16.1 | |
Not stated | 47 (2.2) | 2 (0.5) | 49 (2) | 95.9 | 4.1 | |
Refugee/ Asylum seeker | Yes | 57 (2.7) | 12 (3.0) | 69 (2.8) | 82.6 | 17.4 |
No | 2037 (97.3) | 386 (97) | 2423 (97.2) | 84.1 | 15.9 | |
Eligible child/ young person | Yes | 194 (9.3) | 19 (4.8) | 213 (8.6) | 91.1 | 8.9 |
No | 1900 (90.7) | 379 (95.2) | 2279 (91.5) | 83.4 | 16.6 | |
Eligible pregnant woman | Yes | 13 (0.6) | 3 (0.8) | 16 (0.6) | 81.3 | 18.8 |
No | 2081 (99.4) | 395 (99.3) | 2476 (99.4) | 84.1 | 15.9 | |
Residence | Private res. | 2051 (98) | 387 (97.2) | 2438 (97.8) | 84.1 | 15.9 |
Homeless | 30 (1.4) | 10 (2.5) | 40 (1.6) | 75 | 25 | |
Supp. res. care | 5 (0.2) | 1 (0.3) | 6 (0.2) | 83.3 | 16.7 | |
Res. aged care | 3 (0.1) | 0 | 3 (0.1) | # 100 | 0 | |
! Other accom | 1 (0.1) | 0 | 1 (0.04) | # 100 | 0 | |
^ Not stat/Inad | 4 (0.2) | 0 | 4 (0.2) | # 100 | 0 | |
Residential region | Northern Metro | 696 (33.2) | 134 (33.7) | 830 (33.3) | 83.9 | 16.1 |
Southern Metro | 378 (18.1) | 63 (15.8) | 441 (17.7) | 85.7 | 14.3 | |
Western Metro | 647 (30.9) | 147 (36.9) | 794 (31.9) | 81.5 | 18.5 | |
Eastern Metro | 228 (10.9) | 33 (8.3) | 261 (10.5) | 87.4 | 12.6 | |
Barwon | 26 (1.2) | 5 (1.3) | 31 (1.2) | 83.9 | 16.1 | |
Gippsland | 39 (1.9) | 3 (0.8) | 42 (1.7) | 92.9 | 7.1 | |
Grampians | 16 (0.8) | 1 (0.3) | 17 (0.7) | 94.1 | 5.9 | |
Hume | 36 (1.7) | 9 (2.3) | 45 (1.8) | 80 | 20 | |
Loddon | 23 (1.1) | 2 (0.5) | 25 (1) | 92 | 8 | |
+ Un/Interstate | 5 (0.2) | 1 (0.3) | 6 (0.2) | 83.3 | # 16.7 |
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Lin, C.; Goncalves, N.; Scully, B.; Heredia, R.; Hegde, S. A Teledentistry Pilot Study on Patient-Initiated Care. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 9403. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159403
Lin C, Goncalves N, Scully B, Heredia R, Hegde S. A Teledentistry Pilot Study on Patient-Initiated Care. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(15):9403. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159403
Chicago/Turabian StyleLin, Clare, Nuno Goncalves, Ben Scully, Ruth Heredia, and Shalika Hegde. 2022. "A Teledentistry Pilot Study on Patient-Initiated Care" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 15: 9403. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159403