Use of oral health related quality of life measures in managed dental care organisations.
OBJECTIVE
To review the current status of oral health related quality of life measures as used in dental managed care plans and discuss the potential for their application in such delivery settings.


METHODS
Three questions guided this analysis. First, what additional work is needed in the development or application of quality of life measures in dental managed care settings? Secondly, how can existing quality of life measures be used most effectively now in dental managed care settings? Finally, can existing data be used for secondary analyses of 'generic questions' concerning the relationship between oral health care and quality of life outcomes in dental managed care settings? Oral health related quality of life measures presented at the conference were considered.


CONCLUSIONS
Currently available oral health related quality of life measures have limited applicability in dental managed care settings. Additional work is needed--involving dental plan administrators, purchasers, patients, and practitioners--to develop a set of questions. Such a set of questions should be able to provide inter alia information on the relationship between oral health related quality of life measures and plan structure and administration, level of dental benefits, and effectiveness and appropriateness of dental treatment. Without additional work, existing measures cannot be used effectively in managed dental care settings. Data currently available from dental managed care plans are sparse, limiting the potential for further analysis.
White
B A
BA
Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente, Portland, Oregon 97227-1098, USA.
D000288:Administrative Personnel; D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D003815:Dentists; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007347:Insurance, Dental / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D009909:Oral Health; D016134:Organizational Policy; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010361:Patients; D011243:Preferred Provider Organizations / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D011788:Quality of Life