Emergency Room Visits with a Non-Traumatic Dental-Related Diagnosis in Hawaii, 2016–2020

Masako Matsunaga, John J. Chen, Patrick Donnelly, Carlotta Ching Ting Fok and Nancy S. Partika
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Masako Matsunaga: Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
John J. Chen: Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Patrick Donnelly: Hawai’i Oral Health Coalition, Hawai’i Public Health Institute, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Carlotta Ching Ting Fok: Hawai’i State Department of Health, Family Health Services Division, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Nancy S. Partika: Hawaii Grassroots Oral Health Advocate-OPEN, Honolulu, HI 96816, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 5, 1-8

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to characterize the frequencies and patterns of emergency room (ER) visits with a non-traumatic dental-related diagnosis among adults (≥21 years old) in Hawaii, United States. This descriptive cross-sectional study used state-level inpatient and outpatient data recorded in Hawaii from 2016 to 2020. We identified dental-related ER visits using the diagnosis codes for non-traumatic dental-related conditions and summarized the frequency, rates, and cumulative total charges of the ER visits. The results show that approximately 30 thousand ER visits between 2016 and 2020 had a dental-related diagnosis. Sixty-seven percent of them had it as a principal diagnosis, amounting to USD 38.7 million total charges over the five years. A high proportion of these visits was found among those aged 21–44 years old (62%), Medicaid beneficiaries (49%), and Native Hawaiians/Part Native Hawaiians (26%). Compared to the proportions of ER visits with a secondary diagnosis, these groups had a higher proportion of ER visits with a principal diagnosis ( ps < 0.001). A higher visit rate was found for those aged 21–44 years old and from less-populated counties. These results suggest that oral health disparities in age, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity exist in Hawaii. Our findings could provide insight in developing a framework to reduce oral health disparities, particularly among Medicaid beneficiaries and Native Hawaiians. Dental coverage with effective education in multiple dimensions is necessary to reduce non-traumatic dental-related ER visits.

Keywords: emergency medical services; non-traumatic dental-related diagnosis; oral health; Medicaid; race and ethnicity; adult (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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