57 - Insurance Utilization of Emergency Room Visits for Dental Conditions from 2016-2019 in the United States

Abstract:

Objective: This research aims to determine the distribution of healthcare insurance coverage among individuals who utilize emergency room (ER) services to treat dental conditions in the United States.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) datasets from 2016-2019 is scheduled to determine the utilization and cost of emergency room visits for dental conditions across the United States. With approximately 2 million emergency room visits for dental conditions each year, the NEDS datasets will be compared by classifying diagnoses into three primary categories; a chronic preventable dental condition, an acute traumatic dental condition, or a dental condition considered a combination resulting in infection. Following this, it will be determined if the visit was paid for by a public entity, private entity, or self-pay. The dependent variables for this study are the primary reason for the ER visit based on diagnosed codes, while the independent variable is how the visit was covered. Multivariate analysis will be used to determine the associations between independent variables and dependent variables. Additionally, a descriptive analysis will be utilized to assess the demographic characteristics of the participants in the NEDS dataset.

Results: The preliminary results will indicate the utilization pattern of emergency rooms for dental conditions and whether the utilization is primarily prevalent among uninsured lower-income individuals.

Conclusion: The results will be a preliminary report to support the reduction of utilization of dental emergency rooms for dental conditions and improve the need for regular dental office visits for dental care needs.

Source of Funding: HRSA