Travel Time for Dental Care Services Based on Patient Preference in South Korea

Han-A Cho, Bo-Ra Kim and Hosung Shin
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Han-A Cho: Department of Dental Hygiene, Shinhan University, 95, Hoam-ro, Uijeongbu-si 11644, Korea
Bo-Ra Kim: Department of Dental Hygiene, Namseoul University, 91, Cheonan-si 31020, Korea
Hosung Shin: Department of Social and Humanity in Dentistry, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, 460, Iksan-daero, Iksan-si 54538, Korea

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: This study analyzed patient preferences using travel time from residence to dental institution when selecting dental care services. We used data from the Korean Health Panel from 2008 to 2017 and analyzed each dental service episode. Since the distribution of travel time was skewed to the left, median travel time was analyzed. The association of travel time with services was analyzed via the population-averaged generalized estimating equation (GEE) with the Poisson family. The median of the average travel time per episode was longer for non-National Health Insurance (NHI)-covered services and shorter for NHI-covered services. The first quintile of low-income subjects traveled the longest for all services and utilized dental care the most. In the GEE analysis, travel time was approximately three times longer for implant treatment and gold inlay/resin fillings and >2 times longer for orthodontic care than for NHI-covered services. Patients residing in rural counties traveled for longer than residents of large cities. Income was statistically significant; however, the coefficient was close to zero. Travel time was related to the type of service and reflected patient preference. This was more prominent for expensive non-NHI-covered services than for NHI-covered services. The findings suggest patients’ subjective preferences for dental clinic selection are expressed as rational deliberation considering each individual’s situation.

Keywords: dental care; dental health services; patient preference; travel time (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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