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[Availability and services of dentists under pressure?].
E van der Schee1, H Sixma, E de Klerk
1Nederlands instituut voor onderzoek van de gezondheidszorg (Nivel), Utrecht. e.vanderschee@nivel.nl
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Tandheelkunde
|June 6, 2003
Summary
Despite concerns about a dentist shortage in the Netherlands, patients report high satisfaction with dental services and accessibility. However, some potential issues with availability were noted.
Area of Science:
- Dental Public Health
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Societal signals indicate a potential shortage of dentists in the Netherlands.
- This perception necessitates an examination of patient experiences regarding dental care access and quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate patient perceptions of dental care availability and services in the Netherlands.
- To assess patient satisfaction levels amidst reported dental workforce concerns.
Main Methods:
- A postal questionnaire was administered to 1,395 participants in the 'Consumerspanel Health Care'.
- A response rate of 73.8% was achieved, providing a robust dataset for analysis.
Main Results:
- Patients currently experience no significant issues with dental services due to the perceived shortage.
- High levels of patient satisfaction were reported regarding the accessibility and quality of services provided by Dutch dentists.
- Potential challenges concerning the availability of dental care were identified.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests that current patient satisfaction with dental services and accessibility remains high, despite societal concerns about a dentist shortage.
- While accessibility and services are satisfactory, the findings highlight a need for further investigation into potential availability issues within the Dutch dental sector.