Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 1998. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original microfiche copy / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: see item for full text. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: sien item vir volteks.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This report provides a broad overview of the health industry, and the dental industry in particular, identifying trends and searching for possible solutions to problems posed by these trends. It attempts to offer perspectives of importance to all the stakeholders in health care - the patients, the providers of care and third party payers. The current focus of healthcare industry is not actually the health of the patient. Practitioners (the providers) focus too much on treatment, while insurance companies and governments (the payers) emphasise cost containment. As national health care costs spiral, it is ironic that the main reasons for the dramatic health improvements over the last few decades are improvements in socio-economic factors and changes in lifestyle, rather than better treatment. The willingness of insurers to cover new or improved services has acted as a continuing stimulus to cost-increasing advances in medical technology and in tum to spending growth. Managed care has evolved to attempt to improve resource allocation in health care. Thirdparty private-sector regulators have wrested power from government regulators. Their gain in power relative to private practitioners has shifted the power balance from the supply side to the demand side of health care. By leveraging their power in the use of information technology, the practitioner has been forced into a defensive, reactive stance. Managed care is being implemented by profit-driven third parties that benefit from the cost savings. As health providers are the ones who have to implement the cost-savings; it is proposed that they are the ones who should manage healthcare. The ideal would be a coordinated approach with funders and service providers working toward a common goal. Financial accountability is forcing dental practitioners to evaluate their mode of practice in a critical manner. Promoting health, by educating and evoking behaviour change will create a better world for current and future generations. There is a shift in focus from the health of the individual at all costs, to the health of the population. There should be a special emphasis on the dental health of children for whom prevention offers the most gain in outcome. Evidence-based care evolved from the search for the best care, in terms of quality and price, outcome and process, and attempts to reduce variability and subjectivity in clinical decisions, by using systematic reviews of quality evidence to increase objectivity. Emphasis on improved outcomes provides earlier, more valuable, long-term improvements for a patient, than the later, short-term benefit of a cure. Because most canes and gum disease is preventable, dental health professionals should accentuate health promotion and education of patients. The benefits would be to the advantage of all stakeholders in health. A focus on prevention for children could be the ideal form of dental private practice to instil oral wellness in children. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie verslag is 'n breë oorsig van die gesondsheidsindustrie, en van die tandheelkunde industrie in besonder om tendense te identifiseer en na moontlike oplossing te soek vir probleme wat hieruit mag spruit. Dit poog om perspektiewe aan te bied wat van belang is vir die betrokke rolspelers - die pasiënte, die diensverskaffers en die befondsers. Die huidige fokus van gesondheidsorg is nie eintlik die gesondheid van die pasiënt nie. Die die voorsieners van sorg fokus meestal op behandeling, terwyl versekeringsmaatskappye en die regering (die betalers) fokus op die besnoeing van koste. Terwyl nasionale gesondheidskostes styg, is dit ironies dat die belangrikste redes vir die dramaties verbetering in gesondheid oor die laaste paar dekades eerder verbeteringe in sosioekonomiese faktore en veranderinge in leefwyse is as beter behandeling. Die bereidwilligheid van versekeraars om nuwe en verbeterde dienste te dek, is die oorsaak van die aanhoudende stimulus vir mediese tegnologiese vooruitgang en koste stygings. Bestuurde sorg het ontwikkel om te probeer om bron toewysing in gesondheidsorg te verbeter. Derde party privaatsektor-reguleerders het die mag van regering-reguleerders ontruk. Hul invloed, relatief tot die van privaat praktisyns, het die mags-ewewig verskuif van die voorsienings- na die aanvraagkant van gesondheidsorg. Deur die gebruik van hulle voordeel op die gebied van inligtingstegnologie, het hulle die praktisyn in 'n defensiewe houding gedwing. Bestuurde Gesondheidsorg word beheer deur winsgedrewe derde partye wie baat vind by kostebesparings. Aangesien gesondheidsverskaffers die kostebesparings moet implementeer, word daar aanbeveel dat hulle gesondheidsorg moet bestuur. 'n Gesonde samewerkings ooreenkoms tussen befondsers en diensverskaffers is wenslik. Finansiële verantwoordelikheid dwing tandartse om hulle praktyke krities te evalueer. Daar is 'n fokus verskuiwing vanaf die gesondheid van die individu, ten alle koste, na die gesondheid van die bevolking. Besondere klem behoort geplaas te word op die mondgesondheid van kinders, vir wie voorkoming die meeste baat inhou. Bewys-gebaseerde Gesondheidsorg het ontwikkel uit die soektog na die beste sorg in terme van kwaliteit en koste, uitkoms en proses, en pogings om wisselvalligheid en subjektiwiteit in kliniese besluite te verminder. Klem op beter resultate gee vroeër, meer waardevolle langtermyn verbeteringe vir die pasiënt, as die later kort-termyn voordele van genesing. Omdat tandbederf en tandvleissiektes voorkombaar is, behoort tandheelkundiges die bevordering van mondgesondheid te beklemtoon. Voorkoming by kinders word gesuggereer as die ideale vorm van privaat praktyk om mondgesondheid te bevorder.

The rhetoric of primary health care, health promotion and health service integration is ubiquitous in health policy development in post-apartheid South Africa. However the form in which oral health promotion elements have actually been incorporated into other areas of health care in South Africa and the extent to which they have been implemented, remains unclear. The central aim of this research was to critically analyse oral health promotion elements in health policies in South Africa and determine the extent to which they have been implemented. The study set out to test the hypothesis that oral health promotion is fully integrated into South African health policy and practice.

The rhetoric of primary health care, health promotion and health service integration is ubiquitous in health policy development in post-apartheid South Africa. However the form in which oral health promotion elements have actually been incorporated into other areas of health care in South Africa and the extent to which they have been implemented, remains unclear. The central aim of this research was to critically analyse oral health promotion elements in health policies in South Africa and determine the extent to which they have been implemented. The study set out to test the hypothesis that oral health promotion is fully integrated into South African health policy and practice.