Remuneration of primary dental care in England: a qualitative framework analysis of perspectives of a new service delivery model incorporating incentives for improved access, quality and health outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to describe stakeholder perspectives of a new service delivery model in primary care dentistry incorporating incentives for access, quality and health outcomes.


DESIGN
Data were collected through observations, interviews and focus groups.


SETTING
This was conducted under six UK primary dental care practices, three working under the incentive-driven contract and three working under the traditional activity-based contract.


PARTICIPANTS
Observations were made of 30 dental appointments. Eighteen lay people, 15 dental team staff and a member of a commissioning team took part in the interviews and focus groups.


RESULTS
Using a qualitative framework analysis informed by Andersen's model of access, we found oral health assessments influenced patients' perceptions of need, which led to changes in preventive behaviour. Dentists responded to the contract, with greater emphasis on prevention, use of the disease risk ratings in treatment planning, adherence to the pathways and the utilisation of skill-mix. Participants identified increases in the capacity of practices to deliver more care as a result. These changes were seen to improve evaluated and perceived health and patient satisfaction. These outcomes fed back to shape people's predispositions to visit the dentist.


CONCLUSION
The incentive-driven contract was perceived to increase access to dental care, determine dentists' and patients' perceptions of need, their behaviours, health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Dentists face challenges in refocusing care, perceptions of preventive dentistry, deployment of skill mix and use of the risk assessments and care pathways. Dentists may need support in these areas and to recognise the differences between caring for individual patients and the patient-base of a practice.
['Robinson|Peter G|PG|', 'Douglas|Gail V A|GVA|', 'Gibson|Barry J|BJ|', 'Godson|Jenny|J|', 'Vinall-Collier|Karen|K|', 'Pavitt|Sue|S|', 'Hulme|Claire|C|']
D032982:Contracts D003729:Dental Care D004739:England D017144:Focus Groups D006297:Health Services Accessibility D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand D006801:Humans D007407:Interviews as Topic D018803:Models, Economic D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care D017060:Patient Satisfaction D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' D036301:Qualitative Research D011787:Quality of Health Care D012052:Reimbursement, Incentive D060926:Remuneration
dental incentives contract commissioning oral health behaviour change