title: Industry structures in private dental markets in Finland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use industrial organisation and organisational ecology research methods to survey industry structures and performance in the markets for private dental services and the effect of competition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on practice characteristics, performance, and perceived competition were collected from full-time private dentists (n = 1,121) using a questionnaire. The response rate was 59.6%. Cluster analysis was used to identify practice type based on service differentiation and process integration variables formulated from the questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four strategic groups were identified in the Finnish markets: Solo practices formed one distinct group and group practices were classified into three clusters Integrated practices, Small practices, and Loosely integrated practices. Statistically significant differences were found in performance and perceived competitiveness between the groups. Integrated practices with the highest level of process integration and service differentiation performed better than solo and small practices. Moreover, loosely integrated and small practices outperformed solo practises. Competitive intensity was highest among small practices which had a low level of service differentiation and was above average among solo practises.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Private dental care providers that had differentiated their services from public services and that had a high number of integrated service production processes enjoyed higher performance and less competitive pressures than those who had not.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland. eeva.widstrom@thl.fi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Widström
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mikkola
mesh_terms: D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004465:Economic Competition; D005250:Fees, Dental; D005376:Financial Management / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D005387:Finland; D006124:Group Practice, Dental / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D011215:Practice Management, Dental / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D011331:Private Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*