Cost implications of differences in dentists' restorative treatment decisions.
Cost implications of differences in dentists' restorative treatment decisions.
复制标题
牙医修复治疗决策差异的成本影响。
DOI：
10.1111/j.1752-7325.1996.tb02439.x
复制
发表时间：
1996
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Bader,JD
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Shugars,DA;Bader,JD
Objectives: This study sought to determine the effects of variation in both dentists' decisions to treat and choice of treatment on the costs of care.Methods: Each of 37 patients was examined individually by several practicing dentists (between 3–22, x=6.2). For each dentist's recommended treatment for each patient, the total cost of restorative treatment was calculated first using the least expensive treatment possible for each tooth indicated as needing treatment, and second using the costs of specific treatment selected by each dentist.Results: Considerable variation was found among dentists in each patient's cost of treatment using both methods. The mean of the median cost per patient of the specific treatment selected was three times larger than the cost per patient of basic treatment. Few dentists were found to consistently recommend higher or lower cost treatment plans.Conclusion: These findings suggest that inconsistencies in both dentists' decisions to intervene and dentists' selection of treatment can have a profound effect on cost. Further, focusing utilization review on “outlier dentists” is likely to be much less productive in containing costs and improving quality than comprehensive attempts to improve consistency across the profession.
