A systematic review of dental-related emergency department among Medicaid beneficiaries.

OBJECTIVES: Dental-related emergency department (ED) visits are a growing public health concern. Dental insurance coverage is a strong predictor of dental service access. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to assess the incidence of dental-related ED visits for Medicaid dental enrollees compared to those with other insurances. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were searched for surveillance and observational data published in English from January 1999 to April 2020 to address the following PECOT question: Do patients with nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDC) (P1), or patients with any dental condition (P2) who have Medicaid (E) compared to other insurance status (private insurance, Medicare, no insurance) (C) have a differential incidence of single dental-related ED visits (O) in the literature search results from 1999 to April 2020 (T)? A critical appraisal was performed using a combination of the AXIS tool (for cross-sectional studies with observational data and MetaQAT (for public health evidence). RESULTS: This systematic review included 32 studies. Overall, risk of bias was low. Due to significant statistical heterogeneity, a synthesis without meta-analysis was conducted. NTDC ED visits ranged from 16.0 percent to 79.8 percent for Medicaid patients and 0.9 percent to 57.2 percent for uninsured patients. The range for any dental visit to the ED was 2.2-63.8 percent for Medicaid patients and 2.9-40.8 percent for uninsured patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support expanding insurance coverage in Medicaid programs to reduce ED use for NTDC visits in the United States.

Trends in non-traumatic dental emergency department use in New York and New Jersey: a look at Medicaid expansion from both sides of the Hudson River.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Medicaid expansion on non-traumatic dental condition (NTDC) emergency department visits in New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ). METHODS: The 2010-2014 State Emergency Department Databases for NY and NJ were analyzed. NTDCs were defined as ICD-9-CM codes 520.0-529.9. Primary payers for ED discharges and patient's race were considered. RESULTS: In NY, from 2010 to 2011, there was a 51 percent decrease in private insurance and a 91 percent increase in Medicaid for NTDCs. In NJ, with the 2014 expansion, NTDCs fell 35 percent for uninsured and rose 57 percent for Medicaid. Black individuals have by far the highest population rates of NTDC ED visits, particularly in NJ. CONCLUSIONS: The experiences in NY and NJ suggest that the timing of expansion had significant effects on payer distribution for NTDCs. Racial disparities continue exist with black individuals disproportionately accessing EDs for NTDCs.

Sex and race or ethnicity disparities in opioid prescriptions for dental diagnoses among patients receiving Medicaid.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to identify specific factors (sex, race or ethnicity, and health care provider type) associated with patient receipt of an opioid prescription after a dental diagnosis. METHODS: The authors used Medicaid claims dated from January 1, 2013, through September 30, 2015, for 13 U.S. states in this study. The authors identified oral health-related conditions by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes 520.0 through 529.9. RESULTS: During the 2013 through 2015 study period, among the more than 1,008,400 Medicaid patients with a dental diagnosis, 19.8% filled an opioid prescription within 14 days of diagnosis. Female patients were 50% more likely to receive an opioid prescription for pain management of a dental condition than were men (odds ratio [OR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49 to 1.52). Non-Hispanic whites and African Americans were approximately twice as likely to receive opioids than were Hispanics (OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 2.05 to 2.19; OR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.84 to 1.96, respectively). Patients receiving oral health care in an emergency department were more than 7 times more likely to receive an opioid prescription than were patients treated in a dental office (OR, 7.28; 95% CI, 7.13 to 7.43). Patients with a dental condition diagnosed were more than 4 times as likely to receive an opioid from a nurse practitioner as from a dentist (OR, 4.31; 95% CI, 4.19 to 4.44). Opioid use was substantially higher among African American female patients (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.93 to 2.10) and non-Hispanic white female patients (OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 2.07 to 2.24) than among Hispanic female patients. CONCLUSIONS: Opioid prescribing patterns differ depending on patient race or ethnicity, sex, and health care provider source in patients with a dental diagnosis in the United States. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dentists are providing substantially fewer opioid prescriptions compared with their medical colleagues for pain treatment after a dental diagnosis in the Medicaid population. When considering pain management for dental and related conditions, dentists should continue with conservative prescribing practices as recommended.

Opioid Prescriptions for Acute and Chronic Pain Management Among Medicaid Beneficiaries.

INTRODUCTION: Millions of Americans are affected by acute or chronic pain every year. This study investigates opioid prescription patterns for acute and chronic pain management among U.S. Medicaid patients. METHODS: The study used medical and pharmacy claims data obtained from the multistate Truven MarketScan Medicaid Database from 2013 to 2015 for Medicaid patients receiving health care. Medicaid beneficiaries who utilized an outpatient healthcare facility for back pain, neck pain (cervicalgia), joint pain (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis), orthopedics (simple/closed fractures and muscle strains/sprains), headache (cluster headaches and migraines), dental conditions, or otorhinolaryngologic (otalgia) diagnoses, based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes, and received an opioid prescription within 14 days of diagnosis were included in this study. RESULTS: There were 5,051,288 patients with 1 of the 7 diagnostic groupings; 18.8% had an opioid prescription filled within 14 days of diagnosis. Orthopedic pain (34.8%) was the primary reason for an opioid prescription, followed by dental conditions (17.3%), back pain (14.0%), and headache (12.9%). Patients receiving an opioid for conditions associated with acute pain management, such as otorhinolaryngologic (OR=1.93, 95% CI=1.85, 2.0), dental (OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.48, 1.53), or orthopedic conditions (OR=1.31, 95% CI=1.29, 1.32), were more likely to receive the prescription from an emergency department provider versus a general practitioner. However, compared with general practitioners, other providers were more likely to prescribe opioids for conditions associated with chronic pain management. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of Medicaid beneficiaries receiving an opioid for pain management do so for orthopedic- and dental-related reasons, with emergency department providers more likely to prescribe opioids. Modifications to the guidelines addressing temporary acute pain management practices with opioids would be likely to benefit emergency department providers the most.

Person-centered care model in dentistry.

BACKGROUND: To achieve optimal health and oral health, the system of care must place a person and their social well-being at the center of decision making and understand factors spent outside the clinical settings, including individual behavior, context and lifestyle. MAIN TEXT: Person-centered care offers a unique and compelling opportunity for dentistry, and its practitioners, to improve quality of care and overall health outcomes. For decades, the dominant treatment modalities within dentistry primarily focused on a surgical, treatment-oriented approach as opposed to health promotion and improvement. However, new business and care models are disrupting the dental care system, and transforming it into one that is focused on disease management and prevention-oriented primary care that considers overall health and well-being. We proposed a person-centered care model to improve oral health as an integral part of overall health. The model identified three key players who act as change agents with their respective roles and responsibilities: Person, provider, and health care system designer. CONCLUSIONS: While previous person-centered models in dentistry focused on the role of providers within the clinical setting, this work emphasizes the role of the care designer in creating an environment where both person and provider are able to communicate effectively and achieve improved health outcomes.

Sex and race or ethnicity disparities in opioid prescriptions for dental diagnoses among patients receiving Medicaid.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to identify specific factors (sex, race or ethnicity, and health care provider type) associated with patient receipt of an opioid prescription after a dental diagnosis. METHODS: The authors used Medicaid claims dated from January 1, 2013, through September 30, 2015, for 13 US states in this study. The authors identified oral health-related conditions by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes 520.0 through 529.9. RESULTS: During the 2013-2015 study period, among the more than 890,000 Medicaid patients with a dental diagnosis, 23% received an opioid within 14 days of diagnosis. Female patients were 50% more likely to receive an opioid for pain management of a dental condition than were men (odds ratio [OR], 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52 to 1.55). Non-Hispanic whites and African Americans were approximately twice as likely to receive opioids than were Hispanics (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 2.05 to 2.17 and OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.83 to 1.93, respectively). Patients receiving oral health care in an emergency department were nearly 5 times more likely to receive an opioid prescription than were patients treated in a dental office (OR, 4.66; 95% CI, 4.59 to 4.74). Patients with a dental condition diagnosed were nearly 3 times as likely to receive an opioid from a nurse practitioner as from a dentist (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 2.57 to 2.70). Opioid use was substantially higher among African American female patients (OR, 3.29; 95% CI, 3.18 to 3.40) and non-Hispanic white female patients (OR, 3.24; 95% CI, 3.14 to 3.35) than among Hispanic female patients. CONCLUSIONS: Opioid prescribing patterns differ depending on patient race or ethnicity, sex, and health care provider source in patients with a dental diagnosis in the United States. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dentists are providing substantially less opioid prescriptions compared to their medical colleagues for pain treatment following a dental diagnosis in the Medicaid population. When considering pain management for dental and related conditions, dentists should continue with conservative prescribing practices as recommended.