Dental Service of Regional and General Hospital in Extra-official Hour, 1998.

Abstract

An objective of this study was to know the pattern of extra-official hour dental services provided by the dental clinics of regional and general hospitals. It emphasized the payment system to dentist and revenue of the hospitals. Mail questionnaires were used to collect data from heads of the dental care units of all 92 regional and general hospitals, and from dentists working in the extra-official hour clinics of the hospitals (206 dentists). Response rates of the two groups were 81.5% and 86.4% respectively. Results revealed that 76% of the respondents from heads of dental care units had open the dental clinics during the extra-official hours. 31.6% of the hospitals had been carried out the dental services in extra hours for more than 4 years. 71.9% of the hospitals paid the dentist by numbers of dental services. This payment system provided the highest the hospital revenue (dental charge minus personnel remuneration) at 210.19 Baht / person-hour compared with the payment of 100 Baht per hour for dentist, which provided the lowest rate at 68.82 Baht / person-hour. 92% of the respondent dentists working in the extra service hours got the Extra-money for not working in the private clinic or hospital and 87% had been government employed for 1-9 years. 59.6% worked in the extra-hour-clinics for 1-2 days per week. 51.7% had serviced 40-120 patients per month and 34.3% earned 4-8 thousands baht more beyond their salaries.