Abstract
This study analyzed patient preferences using travel time from residence to dental institution when selecting dental care services. We used data from the Korean Health Panel from 2008 to 2017 and analyzed each dental service episode. Since the distribution of travel time was skewed to the left, median travel time was analyzed. The association of travel time with services was analyzed via the population-averaged generalized estimating equation (GEE) with the Poisson family. The median of the average travel time per episode was longer for non-National Health Insurance (NHI)-covered services and shorter for NHI-covered services. The first quintile of low-income subjects traveled the longest for all services and utilized dental care the most. In the GEE analysis, travel time was approximately three times longer for implant treatment and gold inlay/resin fillings and >2 times longer for orthodontic care than for NHI-covered services. Patients residing in rural counties traveled for longer than residents of large cities. Income was statistically significant; however, the coefficient was close to zero. Travel time was related to the type of service and reflected patient preference. This was more prominent for expensive non-NHI-covered services than for NHI-covered services. The findings suggest patients’ subjective preferences for dental clinic selection are expressed as rational deliberation considering each individual’s situation.
Highlights
Issues in healthcare access include travel time, convenience, choice of provider, quality, and cost of care [1,2]. These factors were related to the evolution from potential access to realized access and focused on the interaction between key elements that determined the use of healthcare services [3]
In order to collect data for Korea Health Panel (KHP), a surveyor in charge of panel households is assigned first, and education is provided on the contents of the KHP survey and the questionnaire guideline
The present study showed travel time according to income quintile by seven dental service groups (Figure 2)
Summary
Issues in healthcare access include travel time, convenience, choice of provider, quality, and cost of care [1,2]. These factors were related to the evolution from potential access to realized access and focused on the interaction between key elements that determined the use of healthcare services [3]. Penchansky described access to health care in terms of five dimensions: availability, affordability, accommodation, acceptability, and accessibility [4]. Affordability is related to a patient’s ability to pay for healthcare services. Accommodation describes the organization and content of the healthcare system as it relates to clinical hours, waiting time, and transportation
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