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1 – 10 of over 1000Chanita Tantipoj, Narin Hiransuthikul, Sirirak Supa-amornkul, Vitool Lohsoonthorn and Siribang-on Piboonniyom Khovidhunkit
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important health problem throughout the world. Association between DM and oral diseases has been reported and dental clinic is indicated to be one of…
Abstract
Purpose
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important health problem throughout the world. Association between DM and oral diseases has been reported and dental clinic is indicated to be one of the suitable venues for the screening of DM. The purpose of this paper is to determine patients’ attitude toward DM screening in dental clinics.
Design/methodology/approach
The anonymous, self-administered questionnaires of five-point response scale questions were distributed to convenience samples of adult patients (⩾25 years) attending one of the dental settings. These dental settings were divided into the university/hospital-based dental clinics (encompassing two university-based and five hospital-based dental clinics) or the private dental clinics (encompassing two private, and one special (after office hour) clinic of a faculty of dentistry). The questions could be categorized into three groups regarding importance, willingness, and agreement of DM screening in dental settings. Results are presented as percentage by respondents based upon the number of responses for each question. The favorable outcomes which were defined as responses of either scale of 4 or 5 were also summarized according to dental settings. The χ2 test for comparison was used to compare the favorable outcomes between the two settings.
Findings
A total of 601 completed questionnaires were collected; 394 from university/hospital-based dental clinics and 207 from two private clinics and a special (after office hour) clinic of a faculty of dentistry. Overall, the majority of respondents in both university/hospital-based and private practice settings felt that it is important to have a dentist conduct a screening (84.8 vs 79.5 percent). The majority of patients in both groups were willing to receive blood pressure examination (95.0 vs 92.0 percent), weight and height measurements (94.7 vs 94.0 percent), saliva/oral fluid investigation (86.4 and 86.9 percent) and finger-stick blood test (83.8 vs 83.9 percent). More than 75 percent of all respondents agreed with diabetes screening in dental clinics.
Originality/value
The majority of respondents supported the screening of DM in dental settings and they were willing to have a screening test by the dentist. Patient acceptance is an important key to be successful in the screening of DM in dental settings.
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Banuru Muralidhara Prasad and D. Varatharajan
Modern lifestyle changes led to increased dental care needs in India. Consequently, there has been a sharp rise in dentist numbers. Karnataka state alone produces 2,500 dentists…
Abstract
Purpose
Modern lifestyle changes led to increased dental care needs in India. Consequently, there has been a sharp rise in dentist numbers. Karnataka state alone produces 2,500 dentists annually, who are engaged in the non‐government sector owing to inadequate public sector opportunities. This article aims to assess Karnataka private dental clinic quality and efficiency.
Design/methodology/approach
Dentists were interviewed using a close‐ended, structured interview schedule and their clinics were assessed using a checklist adopted from guidelines for providing machinery and equipment under the National Oral Health Care Programme (NOHCP). Dental “hotel” and clinical quality were scored based on this checklist.
Findings
Clinical quality was “excellent” in 12 per cent of clinics and poor in 49 per cent. Clinics with better infrastructure charged higher price (p<0.05). Multi‐chair clinics charging fixed rates were high (81 per cent). According to 59.5 per cent of dentists, competition did not improve quality while 27 per cent felt that competition increased price, not quality. About 30.9 per cent of the poor quality clinics, 41 per cent average quality clinics and 26 per cent good quality clinics were technically efficient.
Practical implications
The multi chair clinics offered better quality at higher prices and single chair clinics provided poorer quality at lower prices. In other words, they had a sub‐optimal price‐quality mix. Therefore, there is a need to regulate price and quality in all clinics to arrive at an optimal price‐quality mix so that clients are not overburdened financially even while receiving good quality dental care.
Originality/value
The article advocates that resources are used optimally as a way to achieve value for money and to achieve break‐even points thereby providing quality care in a competitive market. Factors that influence dental practitioner behaviour are evaluated.
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Melody Blessing Ng, Malvina Klag, Carrie Mazoff, Samantha Sacks, Chantal Czerednikow, Kathryn Borbridge, Terry Broda and Jonathan Lai
There is inadequate health care for patients with developmental disabilities (DD), due to a number of systemic issues. This case study describes the establishment of a medical…
Abstract
Purpose
There is inadequate health care for patients with developmental disabilities (DD), due to a number of systemic issues. This case study describes the establishment of a medical-dental clinic in Montréal, Québec for adults with DD. The purpose of this paper is to describe the model of interdisciplinary care based on best practices, as an example to encourage a growing community of trained health professionals to serve this population.
Design/methodology/approach
Interviews with all the clinic staff and leadership were conducted on-site at the clinic, followed by document review and discussions with an embedded researcher in the organization.
Findings
The clinic was established through a series of events that led to public and government interest to act, the timely emergence of major donors, and bringing together several dedicated individuals and organizations. The core team engaged in consultation with clinics, followed by extensive billing analyses and iterative process mapping as a learning organization. Prior to patient visits, the clinic conducted detailed intake processes to adequately plan for each patient interaction. Desensitization visits were undertaken to improve patient tolerance for examination and treatment. The continual collection of data fed into an evaluation framework to facilitate continuous improvement and articulate a model for replication.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors knowledge, there is not a clinic of this nature serving this population in Canada. This work can serve to inform the efforts of other care providers looking to create a medical – dental home for this population.
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Karen Ramos and Onesimo Cuamea
The purpose of this study is to find out the factors that influence dental travelers’ revisit intention (RI) to Tijuana, Mexico.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to find out the factors that influence dental travelers’ revisit intention (RI) to Tijuana, Mexico.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the push and pull model, five constructs were included: quality service, price, supporting services, cultural proximity and quality information. The information was obtained by applying an online survey to a sample of 384 dental tourists in Tijuana, Mexico, who were repeat patients of a dental clinic in Tijuana after the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploratory factor analysis, average variance explained and composite reliability were conducted to ensure the validity of each construct. Multiple regression analysis was done to identify predictors of travelers’ RI.
Findings
The results obtained show that cultural proximity, quality service, price and supporting services influenced the travelers’ revisit behavior after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the body of knowledge on travel behavior in dental tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, which has been scarcely studied. Also, RI was analyzed, focusing on repeated travelers to propose a model mainly for borders or frontiers where developed and developing countries co-exist and interact.
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Sabreen Yousef Wahbeh and Eman Emadeddin Abuelrub
Emerging technologies are becoming vital in the very process of innovation. Companies need to be updated to the latest technologies to offer their premium services to customers as…
Abstract
Emerging technologies are becoming vital in the very process of innovation. Companies need to be updated to the latest technologies to offer their premium services to customers as well as meet their expectations. In the medical sector, it is a challenge to sustain superiority in service due to a high level of competition and the challenges arising from different forces. Liberty Dental Clinic (LDC), a premium clinic in dental services and solutions, based in the UAE, was able to maintain a premium presence in Dentistry due to a series of developmental thoughts and efforts. It was able to invest and utilize new innovative technologies which many organizations lacked such as implementing the most contemporary Artificial Intelligence “4 Robots” in the Clinics. Creating a pathway for a satisfactory customer journey was embedded at all levels of the hierarchy in the Clinic and customer touchpoints. Using a case study methodology, the drivers behind the success and uniqueness of LDC have been discussed including Leadership, Quality Management, Risk Management, Internal & External Marketing Strategy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Technology and Innovation.
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Notes the increasing interest in management accounting research in service organizations, even though it can still be said to be in an embryonic phase. Reviews the accounting and…
Abstract
Notes the increasing interest in management accounting research in service organizations, even though it can still be said to be in an embryonic phase. Reviews the accounting and control implications of specific characteristics perceived to distinguish service organizations which have been observed in previous research in management accounting and service management. States that a review of previous research reveals an undue over‐emphasis on structural accounting implications at the expense of the behavioural side of accounting and control. Includes a case study in a public sector dental practice, with particular reference to the coexistence of formal and informal controls and formalization of control processes. Develops a framework consisting of a number of related research propositions and outlines future directions for research.
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Ajay Noronha, Shreeranga Bhat, E.V. Gijo, Jiju Antony and Suma Bhat
The article evaluates the obstacles, lessons learned and managerial implications of deploying Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in a dental college hospital in India.
Abstract
Purpose
The article evaluates the obstacles, lessons learned and managerial implications of deploying Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in a dental college hospital in India.
Design/methodology/approach
The work adopts the action research (AR) methodology to establish a case study, which is carried out using the LSS define–measure–analyze–improve–control (DAMIC) approach in a dental college. It uses LSS tools to enhance the productivity and performance of the Conservative Dentistry Department of a dental college and to unravel the obstacles and success factors in applying it to the education and healthcare sector together.
Findings
The root cause for high turn-around time (TAT) is ascertained using LSS tools and techniques. The effective deployment of the solutions to the root causes of variation assists the dental college to reduce the TAT of the Conservative Dentistry process from an average of 63.9 min–36.5 min (i.e. 42.9% improvement), and the process Standard Deviation (SD) was reduced from 2.63 to 2 min. This, in turn, raises the sigma level from 0.48 to 3.23, a noteworthy successful story for this dental college.
Research limitations/implications
While the results and recommendations of this research are focused on a single case study, it is to be noted that the case study is carried out with new users of LSS tools and techniques, especially with the assistance of interns. This indicates the applicability of LSS in dental colleges; thus, the adopted modality can be further refined to fit India's education and hospital sector together.
Originality/value
This article explains the implementation of LSS from an aspiring user viewpoint to assist dental colleges and policymakers in improving competitiveness. In addition, the medical education sector can introduce an LSS course in the existing programme to leverage the potential of this methodology to bring synergy and collaborative research between data-based thinking and the medical field based on the findings of this study. The most important contribution of this article is the illustration of the design of experiments (DOE) in the dental college process.
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David O. Danesh and Thomas P. Huber
The purpose of the paper is to describe the current state of leadership and leader–member exchange (LMX) theory in dentistry and develop a novel conceptual model of LMX to guide…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to describe the current state of leadership and leader–member exchange (LMX) theory in dentistry and develop a novel conceptual model of LMX to guide future research and highlight the importance of enhancing leadership training for new dentists.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review exploring leadership in dentistry and LMX in dentistry was completed. The findings were analyzed with framework analysis to develop a novel conceptual model of LMX specific to dentistry.
Findings
LMX theory was applied to leadership in dentistry, including a focus on new dentists, senior dentists, other dental team members and the patient. A new conceptual model of the New Dentist LMX Quartet, which is unique and specific to new dentist teams, was developed.
Research limitations/implications
The study identifies the need for research in LMX in dentistry, contributes a new conceptual model for LMX theory and identifies future research.
Practical implications
Practitioners, policymakers and educators can utilize this information to explore concepts in leadership and improve training and dental practice.
Originality/value
No other studies specifically exploring LMX in dentistry for new dentists exist. The current literature review and conceptual paper begins the conversation on developing understanding of leadership in dentistry through further research.
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Oral health is an integral part of general health. Different population groups have been assessed for oral health status in India, but still, many have been neglected; one such…
Abstract
Purpose
Oral health is an integral part of general health. Different population groups have been assessed for oral health status in India, but still, many have been neglected; one such group is the prisoners. The prison population is a unique and challenging one with many health problems, including poor oral health, which may be due to lack of knowledge about good oral health practices. This study aims to assess effectiveness of oral health education on oral health knowledge, attitude and practices and oral hygiene status among the male prison inmates of central jail in Kolkata, India.
Design/methodology/approach
An interventional study was done among 240 male convicts. The data was elicited using a structured proforma; oral health status was assessed by recording OHI-S index, and the severity of gingivitis was assessed by recording the gingival index. Oral health education was delivered by using audio-visual aid. Oral health knowledge, attitude, practices and oral hygiene and gingival status were reassessed among the inmates before and after dental education at the end of three and six months.
Findings
A significant change in oral health knowledge, attitude and practices was seen, which in turn resulted in an appreciable decrease in the mean gingival index score (1.73 ± 0.382 to 1.20 ± 0.321) and OHI-S (3.31 ± 0.815 to 2.57 ± 0.551) in all the inmates after oral health education program over the period of time.
Originality/value
The oral health education with reinforcement proved to be an effective tool to instil good oral hygiene practices in the inmates.
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Chia-Ching Cho, AnAn Chiu, Shaio Yan Huang and Shuen-Zen Liu
As the rise in expenditures will be even faster when the baby-boom generation soon reaches healthcare-dependent ages, healthcare providers are facing cost management decision of…
Abstract
Purpose
As the rise in expenditures will be even faster when the baby-boom generation soon reaches healthcare-dependent ages, healthcare providers are facing cost management decision of achieving superior performance. Taiwan provides a unique environment that the dialysis service providers face only one medical buyer. The purpose of this paper is to discuss cost factors of dialysis facilities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of factors influencing the dialysis costs using the data collected from a large renal clinic chain at Taiwan. The multiple linear regression analysis is employed to examine the factors influencing dialysis costs. The research sample composed of 1,255 patients is collected from 16 dialysis centers in Taiwan.
Findings
The results indicate that the treatment costs of dialysis are influenced by managerial factors including capacity utilization rate (CUR), the percentage of shares held by the owners and the geographical location of clinics (LC). The findings assist renal clinics to identify the parts critical to the cost control. Our results indicate that medical variable costs for performing the dialysis treatments are significantly influenced by such managerial factors as CUR, the percentage of owners’ shares holding and LC.
Practical implications
By identifying a comprehensive set of costs drivers for dialysis services, this study provides useful information for both health providers and policy makers. In specific, the result assists these providers to consider the utilization of better mechanisms/instruments to control costs by increasing the operational efficiency and achieving the economies of scale.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to exploring costs drivers that are generally absent from the extant literature. The result suggests that the regulators should be aware that the dialysis providers may reject costly patients. Hence, to establish the appropriate monitoring mechanisms to prevent such incidence is important. Finally, many other countries in addition to Taiwan also have a similar practice as national health insurances or services (e.g. Medicare in the USA or National Health Service in the UK). Those health systems may all face a similar cost control issues for handling end-stage renal disease patients. The analysis can help health systems worldwide to better design the reimbursement rates to account for the differences existed in dealing with the dialysis treatment costs.
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