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Publicly Funded Dental Care in Ontario: Rationing Principles and Rules

Objective: To identify principles and rules used by stakeholders in making limit-setting decisions for publicly funded dental care.
Methods: A purposive sample, including administrators, academics, funders, clinicians and community representatives was surveyed using a 28-item questionnaire, in the first round of a proposed three-round modified Delphi study. Using open and closed-ended questions participants made and explained decisions on prioritizing populations and services. Open-ended text was analyzed with a thematic qualitative approach using open and axial coding.
Results: Consensus emerged on two rationing principles; achieving equity and providing essential care. Rules for eligibility were defined as the inability to pay and/or assume full personal responsibility for securing dental care. Inclusion/exclusion of treatment categories rested on relieving pain/infection, preventing disease and maintaining/restoring function.
Conclusions: Stakeholders presented principles and rules that suggest extending the distribution of publicly funded dental care to include, at a minimum, essential services for those unable to afford care.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/35647
Date15 July 2013
CreatorsMcKay, Linda
ContributorsQuiƱonez, Carlos
Source SetsUniversity of Toronto
Languageen_ca
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis

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