Beschreibung:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives</jats:title><jats:p>We examined the effect of hospital payor mix on the proportion of pediatric emergency department (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ED</jats:styled-content>) visits that were dental related.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>We used the North Carolina (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">NC</jats:styled-content>) <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">E</jats:styled-content>mergency <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">R</jats:styled-content>oom <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">D</jats:styled-content>ischarge <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">D</jats:styled-content>atabase from 2007 to 2009 to estimate the relationship between the percent of pediatric <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ED</jats:styled-content> patients that were covered by <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">M</jats:styled-content>edicaid and the percent of pediatric <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ED</jats:styled-content> visits that were dental related. Hospital‐level fixed effects controlled for unobserved hospital‐level characteristics. Discharge claims from 110 <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ED</jats:styled-content> facilities in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">NC</jats:styled-content> were analyzed over the 3‐year study period. Claims were limited to individuals under 18 years old with dental disease‐related <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">I</jats:styled-content>nternational <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>lassification of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">D</jats:styled-content>iseases, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">N</jats:styled-content>inth <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">E</jats:styled-content>dition, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>linical <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">M</jats:styled-content>odification diagnostic codes, 520.00‐530.00.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Using 327 hospital‐years of data, 62 percent of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ED</jats:styled-content> visits for pediatric dental reasons were covered by <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">M</jats:styled-content>edicaid, a proportion over two times greater than for pediatric reasons overall, 26 percent. Hospitals with a greater proportion of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">M</jats:styled-content>edicaid payors had a greater proportion of pediatric dental <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ED</jats:styled-content> visits (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < 0.01).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Hospitals serving a large population of children on <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">M</jats:styled-content>edicaid should be prepared to provide emergency dental services. Public health administrators should prioritize oral health resources at hospital communities with a high proportion of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">M</jats:styled-content>edicaid payors.</jats:p></jats:sec>