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Persistent Orofacial Pain Attendances at General Medical Practitioners
C C Currie1,2, J Palmer1,2, S J Stone1,2
1School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Journal of Dental Research
|October 31, 2022
Summary
Persistent orofacial pain (POFP) patients show increasing medical practice attendances over 44 years in Wales. Few patients are referred, indicating potential care pathway improvements for managing POFP.
Area of Science:
- Medical Practice Data Analysis
- Epidemiology of Pain Conditions
- Healthcare Utilization Studies
Background:
- Persistent orofacial pain (POFP) presents complex diagnostic and management challenges, potentially impacting patient outcomes.
- Understanding trends in healthcare utilization for POFP is crucial for optimizing patient care pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze 44-year trends in medical practice attendances for POFP in Wales.
- To determine patient attendance frequency and referral patterns for orofacial pain.
- To identify factors predicting patient referral for POFP.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study utilizing the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank in Wales.
- Extraction of orofacial and migraine diagnostic codes (Read codes) from 1974 to 2017.
- Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis to assess attendance and referral trends and predictors.
Main Results:
- Over 468,000 attendances for POFP and migraine were recorded, with an increasing attendance rate over the study period.
- Approximately 30% of patients attended more than once, and 15.8% attended multiple times within a year.
- Referrals were associated with 8,183 patients, with higher odds of referral observed in females, rural residents, the least deprived, and older individuals.
Conclusions:
- Increasing POFP attendances suggest a rising incidence or improved diagnosis within the population.
- The low referral rate and frequent repeat attendances highlight potential inefficiencies in current POFP care pathways.
- Referral patterns indicate demographic and socioeconomic factors influence access to specialized care for orofacial pain.
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