Public and private dental services in NSW: a geographic information system analysis of access to care for 7 million Australians
Jenny Willie-Stephens A , Estie Kruger A B and Marc Tennant A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A International Research Collaborative – Oral Health And Equity, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia
B Corresponding author. Email: estie.kruger@uwa.edu.au
NSW Public Health Bulletin 24(4) 164-170 https://doi.org/10.1071/NB13004
Published: 17 June 2014
Abstract
Aim: To investigate the distribution of public and private dental practices in NSW in relation to population distribution and socioeconomic status. Methods: Dental practices (public and private) were mapped and overlayed with Census data on Collection District population and Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA). Results: Overall, there was an uneven geographic distribution of public and private dental practices across NSW. When the geographic distribution was compared to population socioeconomics it was found that in rural NSW, 12% of the most disadvantaged residents lived further than 50 km from a public dental practice, compared to 0% of the least disadvantaged. In Sydney, 9% of the three most disadvantaged groups lived greater than 7.5 km from a public dental practice, compared to 21% of the three least disadvantaged groups. Conclusion: The findings of this study can contribute to informing decisions to determine future areas for focus of dental resource development (infrastructure and workforce) and identifying subgroups in the population (who are geographically isolated from accessing care) where public health initiatives focused on amelioration of disease consequences should be a focus.
References
[1] Horner MW, Mascarenhas AK. Analyzing location-based accessibility to dental services: an Ohio case study. J Public Health Dent 2007; 67 113–8.| Analyzing location-based accessibility to dental services: an Ohio case study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17557683PubMed |
[2] Cromley EK, McLafferty SL. GIS and Public Health. New York: Guilford Press; 2002.
[3] Nykiforuk CI, Flaman LM. Geographic information systems (GIS) for Health Promotion and Public Health: a review. Health Promot Pract 2011; 12 63–73.
| Geographic information systems (GIS) for Health Promotion and Public Health: a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19546198PubMed |
[4] McLafferty SL. GIS and health care. Annu Rev Public Health 2003; 24 25–42.
| GIS and health care.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 12668754PubMed |
[5] Phillips RL, Kinman EL, Schintzer PG, Lindbloom EJ, Ewigman B. Using geographic information systems to understand health care access. Arch Fam Med 2000; 9 971–8.
| Using geographic information systems to understand health care access.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 11115195PubMed |
[6] Spencer AJ. Narrowing the inequality gap in oral health and dental care in Australia. University of Sydney: Australian Health Policy Institute; 2004.
[7] Schwarz E. Access to oral health care – an Australian perspective. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2006; 34 225–31.
| Access to oral health care – an Australian perspective.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 16674755PubMed |
[8] Oral health of Australians. In: National Planning for oral health improvement: Final report. Adelaide: South Australian Department of Human Services; 2001.
[9] Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census: for a brighter future. Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/Census (Cited 21 June 2011).
[10] Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census Dictionary Australia (Reissue). Catalogue No. 2901.0.2006. Canberra: ABS; 2006.
[11] Australian Bureau of Statistics. Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas. Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/seifa (Cited 31 January 2014).
[12] Almado H, Kruger E, Tennant M. Application of spatial analysis technology to planning access to oral health care for at-risk populations in Australian capital cities. Aust J Primary Health In press
[13] Phibbs CS, Luft HS. Correlation of travel time on roads versus straight line distance. Med Care Res Rev 1995; 52 532–42.
| Correlation of travel time on roads versus straight line distance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaK28%2FpslKksg%3D%3D&md5=46d214da4922fb1da25c356f838cb992CAS | 10153313PubMed |
[14] Tennant M, Kruger E, Shiyha J. Dentist-to-population and practice-to-population ratios: in a shortage environment with gross mal-distribution what should rural and remote communities focus their attention on? Rural Remote Health 2013; 13 2518
| 24098910PubMed |
[15] Public Health Division. The health of the people of New South Wales – Report of the Chief Health Officer. Sydney; NSW Department of Health; 2004.
[16] Susi L, Mascarenhas AK. Using a geographical information system to map the distribution of dentists in Ohio. J Am Dent Assoc 2002; 133 636–42.
| Using a geographical information system to map the distribution of dentists in Ohio.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 12036169PubMed |
[17] Borrell LN, Northridge ME, Miller DB, Golembeski CA, Spielman SE, Sclar ED, et al. Oral health and health care for older adults: a spatial approach for addressing disparities and planning services. Spec Care Dentist 2006; 26 252–6.
| Oral health and health care for older adults: a spatial approach for addressing disparities and planning services.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17472041PubMed |
[18] Perera I, Kruger E, Tennant M. Rural public dental clinic distribution in three states of Australia: using spatial analysis to inform management and planning of services. Asia Pac J Health Management 2010; 5 40–6.
[19] Kruger E, Tennant M, George R. Application of geographic information systems to the analysis of private dental practices distribution in Western Australia. Rural Remote Health 2011; 11 1736
| 21843026PubMed |
[20] Leake JL, Birch S. Public policy and the market for dental services. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2008; 36 287–95.
| Public policy and the market for dental services.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD1crjs1aksw%3D%3D&md5=1d855fc658061dc584caa8d328cb8d64CAS | 18715364PubMed |
[21] Teusner DN, Spencer AJ. Dental Labour Force, Australia 2000. Dental Statistics and Research Series No. 28. Cat. no. DEN 116. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; 2003.
[22] Teusner DN, Chrisopoulos S, Brennan DS. Geographic distribution of the Australian dental labour force, 2003. Dental Statistics and Research Series No. 37. Cat. no. DEN 168. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; 2007.
[23] Chrisopoulos S, Nguyen T. Trends in the Australian dental labour force, 2000 to 2009: Dental labour force collection, 2009. Dental Statistics and Research Series No. 61. Cat. no. DEN 218. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; 2012.
[24] Slade GD, Spencer AJ, Roberts-Thomson K, eds. Australia's dental generations: the National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004–06. AIHW cat. no. DEN 165. Canberra: AIHW; 2007.
[25] Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives. Australia's National Oral Health Plan 2004–2013. National Advisory Committee on Oral Health, South Australian Department of Health: Adelaide; 2004.
[26] Rural Dental Action Group. Dental Health Survey 2006. Available at: http://www.ncoss.org.au/bookshelf/health/submissions/RDAG%20summary%202006.pdf (Cited 19 December 2013).
[27] Beazoglou TJ, Crakes GM, Doherty NJ, Heffley DR. Determinants of dentists' geographic distribution. J Dent Educ 1992; 56 735–40.
| 1:STN:280:DyaK3s%2FlsFyhtQ%3D%3D&md5=a4467d217e0d112a9dd492cbbc0757b9CAS | 1430529PubMed |
[28] Bailit HL, Beazoglou TJ. State financing of dental education: impact on supply of dentists. J Dent Educ 2003; 67 1278–85.
| 14733258PubMed |
