A population-based cost description study of oral treatment of hospitalized Western Australian children aged younger than 15 years
Objectives We sought to analyze the economic cost of a decade of dental hospital admissions in Western Australian children under the age of 15 years and to identify socio‐demographic characteristics associated with these costs. Methods This study analyzed the cost of 43,937 child patients under the...
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Published in | Journal of public health dentistry Vol. 75; no. 3; pp. 202 - 209 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
2015
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Objectives
We sought to analyze the economic cost of a decade of dental hospital admissions in Western Australian children under the age of 15 years and to identify socio‐demographic characteristics associated with these costs.
Methods
This study analyzed the cost of 43,937 child patients under the age of 15 years hospitalized for an oral health–related condition, as determined by principal diagnosis International Classification of Diseases (ICD‐10AM). The Australian Refine Diagnosis Related Group version 5.1 was used to calculate the direct cost. An analysis of costs was broken down by socioeconomic status, primary place of residency, age, gender, insurance status, and Indigenous status.
Results
The total DRG cost of these admissions was approximately AUS$92 million million over 10 years. Most of these funds went toward treating “Dental caries” and “Embedded and impaction” conditions of children under the age of 15 years. Approximately 95 percent of the total cost of hospitalization for oral conditions, over the last decade, accounted for non‐Indigenous children. Since 2000, the direct cost of child hospitalization for oral‐related conditions has increased to reach $13 million AUD in 2009.
Conclusions
This study identified the substantial economic burden of child oral‐related hospitalizations that emphasizes the importance of preventing costly inpatient treatments. |
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Bibliography: | ArticleID:JPHD12088 ark:/67375/WNG-P6XG3DQL-6 istex:9E6D542C1D766701D8FEDA4F5B3BF4DB629CF160 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0022-4006 1752-7325 |
DOI: | 10.1111/jphd.12088 |