TY - JOUR

T1 - Exploring preferences of older adults for dental services: A pilot multi-national discrete choice experiment

AU - Chebib, Najla

AU - Holmes, Emily

AU - Maniewicz, Sabrina

AU - Abou-Ayash, Samir

AU - Srinivasan, Murali

AU - McKenna, Gerald

AU - Kossioni, Anastasia

AU - Schimmel, Martin

AU - Muller, Frauke

AU - Brocklehurst, Paul

N1 - Open access funding provided by Universite de Geneve.

PY - 2024/6

Y1 - 2024/6

N2 - AbstractObjectivesTo pilot an exploration of older adults' future preferences using discrete choice experiments to understand who should provide dental examinations and treatment, where these services should be provided, and participants' willingness to pay and willingness to travel.BackgroundThe proportion of older adults in the general population is increasing and is recognised as a pressing public health challenge.Materials and MethodsOlder people aged 65 years and over were recruited into this study from the UK, Switzerland and Greece. Drawing on earlier stakeholder engagement, a set of choice experiments are developed to explore the future preferences of older people for dental examinations and dental treatment, as they anticipated losing their independence. These were presented to the participants using a range of platforms, because of the COVID pandemic. Data were analysed in STATA using a random-effects logit model.ResultsTwo hundred and forty-six participants (median age 70 years) completed the pilot study. There was a strong preference across all countries for a dentist to undertake a dental examination (Greece: β = 0.944, Switzerland: β = 0.260, UK β = 0.791), rather than a medical doctor (Greece: β = −0.556, Switzerland: β = −0.4690, UK: β = −0.468). Participants in Switzerland and the UK preferred these examinations to be undertaken in a dental practice (Switzerland: β = 0.220, UK: β = 0.580) while participants in Greece preferred the dental examination to be undertaken in their homes (β = 1.172). Greek participants preferred dental treatment to be undertaken by a specialist (β = 0.365) in their home (β = 0.862), while participants from the UK and Switzerland preferred to avoid any dental treatment at home (Switzerland: β = −0.387; UK: β = −0.444). Willingness to pay analyses highlighted that participants in Switzerland and the UK were willing to pay more to ensure the continuity of future service provision at a family dental practice (Switzerland: β = 0.454, UK: β = 0.695).ConclusionDiscrete choice experiments are valuable for exploring older people's preferences for dental service provision in different countries. Future larger studies should be conducted to further explore the potential of this approach, given the pressing need to design services that are fit for purpose for older people. Continuity of dental service provision is considered as important by most older people, as they anticipate losing their dependence.

AB - AbstractObjectivesTo pilot an exploration of older adults' future preferences using discrete choice experiments to understand who should provide dental examinations and treatment, where these services should be provided, and participants' willingness to pay and willingness to travel.BackgroundThe proportion of older adults in the general population is increasing and is recognised as a pressing public health challenge.Materials and MethodsOlder people aged 65 years and over were recruited into this study from the UK, Switzerland and Greece. Drawing on earlier stakeholder engagement, a set of choice experiments are developed to explore the future preferences of older people for dental examinations and dental treatment, as they anticipated losing their independence. These were presented to the participants using a range of platforms, because of the COVID pandemic. Data were analysed in STATA using a random-effects logit model.ResultsTwo hundred and forty-six participants (median age 70 years) completed the pilot study. There was a strong preference across all countries for a dentist to undertake a dental examination (Greece: β = 0.944, Switzerland: β = 0.260, UK β = 0.791), rather than a medical doctor (Greece: β = −0.556, Switzerland: β = −0.4690, UK: β = −0.468). Participants in Switzerland and the UK preferred these examinations to be undertaken in a dental practice (Switzerland: β = 0.220, UK: β = 0.580) while participants in Greece preferred the dental examination to be undertaken in their homes (β = 1.172). Greek participants preferred dental treatment to be undertaken by a specialist (β = 0.365) in their home (β = 0.862), while participants from the UK and Switzerland preferred to avoid any dental treatment at home (Switzerland: β = −0.387; UK: β = −0.444). Willingness to pay analyses highlighted that participants in Switzerland and the UK were willing to pay more to ensure the continuity of future service provision at a family dental practice (Switzerland: β = 0.454, UK: β = 0.695).ConclusionDiscrete choice experiments are valuable for exploring older people's preferences for dental service provision in different countries. Future larger studies should be conducted to further explore the potential of this approach, given the pressing need to design services that are fit for purpose for older people. Continuity of dental service provision is considered as important by most older people, as they anticipate losing their dependence.

KW - dental service provision

KW - Discrete choice experiments

KW - Older people

KW - stated preference

KW - willingness to pay

KW - willingness to travel

U2 - 10.1111/ger.12696

DO - 10.1111/ger.12696

M3 - Article

VL - 41

SP - 220

EP - 230

JO - Gerodontology

JF - Gerodontology

SN - 1741-2358

IS - 2

ER -