Patients’ preferences in dental care: A discrete-choice experiment and an analysis of willingness-to-pay

Abstract

Introduction Dental diseases are a major problem worldwide. Costs are a burden on healthcare systems and patients. Missed treatments can have health and financial consequences. Compared to other health services, dental treatments are only covered in parts by statutory health insurance (SHI). Using the example of dental crowns for a cost-intensive treatment, our study aims to investigate whether (1) certain treatment attributes determine patients’ treatment choice, and (2) out-of-pocket payments represent a barrier to access dental care. Methods We conducted a discrete-choice-experiment by mailing questionnaires to 10,752 people in Germany. In presented scenarios the participants could choose between treatment options (A, B, or none) composed of treatment attribute levels (e.g., color of teeth) for posterior (PT) and anterior teeth (AT). Considering interaction effects, we used a D-efficient fractional factorial design. Choice analysis was performed using different models. Furthermore, we analyzed willingness-to-pay (WTP), preference of choosing no and SHI standard care treatment, and influence of socioeconomic characteristics on individual WTP. Results Out of n = 762 returned questionnaires (response rate of r = 7.1), n = 380 were included in the analysis. Most of the participants are in age group "50 to 59 years" (n = 103, 27.1%) and female (n = 249, 65.5%). The participants’ benefit allocations varied across treatment attributes. Aesthetics and durability of dental crowns play most important roles in decision-making. WTP regarding natural color teeth is higher than standard SHI out-of-pocket payment. Estimations for AT dominate. For both tooth areas, "no treatment" was a frequent choice (PT: 25.7%, AT: 37.2%). Especially for AT, treatment beyond SHI standard care was often chosen (49.8%, PT: 31.3%). Age, gender, and incentive measures (bonus booklet) influenced WTP per participant. Conclusion This study provides important insights into patient preferences for dental crown treatment in Germany. For our participants, aesthetic for AT and PT as well as out-of-pocket payments for PT play an important role in decision-making. Overall, they are willing to pay more than the current out-of-pockt payments for what they consider to be better crown treatments. Findings may be valuable for policy makers in developing measures that better match patient preferences.

Decision-making regarding dental treatments – What factors matter from patients’ perspective and does Covid-19 influence patients’ behavior? A systematic review

“…The factors most frequently identified in studies are out-of-pocket payment, dental fear, aesthetics, and pain. Out-of-pocket payment can be considered a decisive factor of choice, as recently shown in willingness-to-pay studies of different countries, e.g., Japan [167], England [88], and Germany [168]. The UK, Saudi Arabia, the USA, India, Brazil, Turkey, Germany, and Canada are the countries with most identified articles (n>=8 articles), with out-of-pocket payment as most frequently mentioned factor of choice.…”

Consenting on essential oral health care benefit basket

“…Cosmetic dental procedures can help to reduce these stigmata and the associated psychological distress (Matsuyama et al, 2021). A discrete choice experiment found that aesthetic treatments were crucial for participants choice of dental treatment (Felgner & Henschke, 2023). Yet, cosmetic treatments are largely excluded from coverage in most European countries (Winkelmann et al, 2023;Winkelmann, Gómez Rossi, & van Ginneken, 2022).…”

COVID-19 Pandemi Sürecinden Yansımalar: Ağız ve Diş Sağlığı Hizmeti Bekleyen Hastalar

“…Araştırma yaş ve cinsiyetin WTP'yi etkilediği ve bireylerin cepten ödeme yapmaktansa sigortanın karşıladığı standart tedaviyi tercih ettikleri tespit edilmiştir. 38…”