A policy option towards improving efficiencies in Victorian public oral healthcare

IF 1.9 4区医学 Q3 HEALTH POLICY & SERVICES

International Journal of Health Planning and Management Pub Date : 2024-07-22 DOI:10.1002/hpm.3824

Tan Minh Nguyen, Martin Hall

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

International oral health policy directions led by the World Health Organisation call for the inclusion of oral health within universal health coverage. The aim of this study is to perform a budget impact analysis of a policy option for a more cost-efficient oral health workforce skill-mix (dentists and oral health therapists) to provide public oral healthcare in Victoria, Australia.

Methods

Two hypothetical standard care pathways were developed. A dynamic population Markov model in TreeAge software, with a time horizon of 6 years. Two scenarios were modelled to determine: (1) base-case scenario: the threshold the dentist workforce could reduce per year, while achieving the same service delivery outputs, and (2) alternative scenario: the potential cost-savings for utilising an optimally cost-efficient oral health workforce skill-mix.

Results

The threshold analysis showed a minimum reduction of 13% of the dentist workforce being replaced with oral health therapists can occur without having any impact on the same service delivery outputs. Under the alternative scenario, the potential cost-savings would be AUD$1,425,037 (standard deviation 58,954).

Conclusions

Governments and policy-decision makers should consider strategies in training, attracting, and retaining oral health therapists to achieve an optimally cost-efficient oral health workforce skill-mix when delivering public oral healthcare.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

提高维多利亚州公共口腔医疗效率的政策选择。

背景：世界卫生组织领导的国际口腔健康政策方向呼吁将口腔健康纳入全民健康保险范围。本研究的目的是对澳大利亚维多利亚州提供公共口腔医疗保健的更具成本效益的口腔医疗劳动力技能组合（牙医和口腔治疗师）的政策选择进行预算影响分析：方法：开发了两种假设的标准护理路径。在 TreeAge 软件中建立了一个动态人口马尔可夫模型，时间跨度为 6 年。模拟了两种方案，以确定：（1）基础方案：在实现相同服务产出的前提下，牙医劳动力每年可减少的阈值；（2）替代方案：利用具有最佳成本效益的口腔卫生劳动力技能组合可能节省的成本：临界值分析表明，用口腔保健治疗师取代牙医队伍至少可以减少 13%的人数，而不会对相同的服务产出产生任何影响。在替代方案下，潜在的成本节约为 1,425,037 澳元（标准差 58,954 澳元）：政府和政策决策者应考虑培训、吸引和留住口腔治疗师的策略，以便在提供公共口腔医疗保健服务时实现具有最佳成本效益的口腔医疗劳动力技能组合。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Health Planning and Management Multiple-

CiteScore

4.50

自引率

3.70%

发文量

197

期刊介绍： Policy making and implementation, planning and management are widely recognized as central to effective health systems and services and to better health. Globalization, and the economic circumstances facing groups of countries worldwide, meanwhile present a great challenge for health planning and management. The aim of this quarterly journal is to offer a forum for publications which direct attention to major issues in health policy, planning and management. The intention is to maintain a balance between theory and practice, from a variety of disciplines, fields and perspectives. The Journal is explicitly international and multidisciplinary in scope and appeal: articles about policy, planning and management in countries at various stages of political, social, cultural and economic development are welcomed, as are those directed at the different levels (national, regional, local) of the health sector. Manuscripts are invited from a spectrum of different disciplines e.g., (the social sciences, management and medicine) as long as they advance our knowledge and understanding of the health sector. The Journal is therefore global, and eclectic.