EVALUATION OF CRITERIA FOR PROVIDING DENTAL CARE TO RESIDENTS OF TRANSCARPATHIA

Abstract

Introduction. Dental care is one of the most common types of medical care, and improving the quality of its provision is an important task of health care. The reduction of state funding for dental institutions leads to a decrease in the availability of free dental services for the majority of the population; therefore, there is a need to create new programs to improve the dental service provision, adapted to modern conditions. The purpose of the study is to assess the current health care system in terms of dental care provision in rural areas of Transcarpathia. Materials and methods. We designed and conducted a survey of 437 residents of two districts of Transcarpathia (Perechyn and Velykobereznyansky), aged from 18 and over, using the method of personal formalized interview (face-to-face) of those, who had ever sought for dental care. Results. A high need for dental care was found in both districts. Residents of Perechyn district (77.1%) sought for dental care more often than the residents of Velykobereznyanskyi district (64.3%). The age of the patients, who revealed the highest demands in dental care ranged from 18 to 29 years (42.2%), the age group from 30 to 49 years also demonstrated high needs in dental care (27.4%); with the age, the number of attempts to get dental care considerable went down. The survey has showed that only 19% of respondents out of the total number are satisfied with the pain prevention during the treatment. All survey respondents find the access to dental care and quality of dental services as insufficient: Perechyn district residents (29% and 14%, respectively), and Velykobereznyansky district residents (28% and 13%, respectively). Among all the respondents, more than 60% express positive attitude towards paid services in dentistry: about 15% of them consider that dental care should be free, and 54.2% of residents of both districts would rather agree to pay for the treatment provided when "the fee is not very high, and a dental service is of good quality". 30.8%. 30.8% out of all participants demonstrate unambiguously negative attitude to paid services. Conclusion. This study has revealed that there is a considerable need for quality dental care among the population of Transcarpathia. Most residents, when necessary, search for dental aid at dental clinics nearest to their places of living, but almost every fifth patient prefers to visit other institutions. The main priorities in choosing an alternative dental setting are better quality and access, the lack of queues. The most of the population, over 60%, demonstrates a readiness to pay for dental services. The rate of patient’s satisfaction with the dental care obtained, the impression made by a dental setting and by a dental staff on the patients are the main factors, which determine whether the patients will back again and comply with the treatment plan, as well as whether they recommend this setting to other people. It is the opinion of clients that ultimately impacts the image of the medical institution.