The reporting of dental care. A comparison of time and activity related follow-up methods.
In 1989, a time study method was developed and tested by the Public Dental Service, Göteborg Sweden (PD). The purpose was to estimate the distribution of time used for different activities in the PD clinics supplying general dental care. Using the results from the test of the time study (TIA) the aim of the present study was to compare, evaluate and discuss the corresponding reported results from the administrative Electronic Data Processing (EDP) systems used for reporting dental care, and to analyze the parameters included as tools for reporting dental care procedures. This study has shown that values for diagnostic and preventive procedures were too high as reported, in relation to intervention procedures, whereas agreement was good with regard to the values in the intervention categories for dental procedures. The reported values from the EDP systems which are based on the codes in the Swedish dental insurance tariff, represent dental care in the intervention categories. However, one must take account of the verified divergences in reporting values concerning all three main areas of dental procedures. Correct time reporting for the main sectors of dental procedures--diagnostic, prevention and intervention sectors--will improve the validity of EDP systems for cost report.
Swedberg
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Public Dental Service, Göteborg, Sweden.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017266:Dental Prosthesis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003945:Diagnosis, Oral / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012390:Root Canal Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013515:Surgery, Oral / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013996:Time and Motion Studies