Director, Research and Policy Center American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
Participants should be aware of the following financial/non-financial relationships: . Robin Wright, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Abstract: Objective: U.S. pediatric dentists require access to hospital operating rooms (ORs) to deliver safe and effective dental care to children. Denial of access to ORs for general anesthesia (GA) creates long waiting times, deferral of medically necessary dental care, and unmeasured pain and anxiety for patients. This study extends an initial 2020 study to examine the extent, trajectory, and possible underlying causes of operating room access denial, including the impacts of the pandemic.
Methods: Public policy advocates (PPAs) of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry completed an electronic questionnaire about state-specific OR denials in March, 2020, and are completing quarterly surveys starting in Fall, 2021.
Results: Responses from 50 states and the District of Columbia showed 34 PPAs (67 percent) acknowledging OR access problems, with 14 out of 34 (41 percent) reporting a moderate or major problem. Western district PPAs reported the fewest states affected (four out of 11; 36 percent). Hospitals and reimbursement emerged as frequent foci for denials in comment analysis. Ongoing surveys in 2021 suggest OR access has continued to decrease since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusions: Operating room access denial is a problem for pediatric dentists in the majority of U.S. states and D.C.. in those states reporting it as a problem, it was considered moderate or major in significance by almost half. OR access denial is expected to exacerbate as an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
