289 - Access to Dental Care for Adolescents with SHCN in Ohio

Access to Dental Care for Adolescents with SHCN in Ohio

Grunenwald, K, Townsend, J, Meyer, B, Casamassimo, P<br>

The Ohio State University/ Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH

Purpose:

To compare experiences between parents with adolescent CSHCN and their healthy counterparts when trying to schedule and procure dental treatment.

Methods:

A secret shopper study of dental practices in Ohio was conducted. A list of active licensed dentists was obtained from the Ohio State Dental Board and included contact information such address. Only general and pediatric dentists with an Ohio address were eligible, and a random sample of 302 dentists was generated and balanced by zip code and specialty (14 general dentists:1 pediatric dentist). Phone numbers for selected dentists were collected through an internet search, and in this process each dentist was validated to only represent one practice. A research team member called each practice posing as the parent of an adolescent using one of three patient scripts: 1) no special health care needs, 2) special health care needs requiring minor additional supports (e.g. noise canceling headphones), and 3) special health care needs requiring significant additional supports (e.g. wheelchair accommodations). Patients were designated self-pay to eliminate the variability associated with insurance acceptance. Outcomes included whether an appointment was given, what additional information was requested by the scheduler, whether the patient was referred elsewhere, and how much time was spent on the phone. Analysis was stratified by general versus pediatric dentists.

Final data pending, but thus far does not seem to support the hypotheses that CSHCN have greater difficulty in accessing dental appointments and that general dentists are more likely to refer CSHCN elsewhere upon initial contact.


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