Biomaterial Database

Institutional barriers to providing oral health services for underserved populations in New York City. 2004

Cálix Ramos-Rodríguez, and Mark D Schwartz, and Vincent Rogers, and Victor Alos

Callen-Lorde Community Health Center/Lutheran Medical Center, 356 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011, USA. calixramos@hotmail.com

OBJECTIVE We sought to explore institutional barriers to the provision of oral health services for the underserved among inner-city health centers. METHODS Mail-based survey of Medicaid-approved health centers in New York City without oral health services. The importance of four barrier categories was rated: resource issues, dental provider difficulties, referral problems, and low priority of dental care. RESULTS 36 health centers completed the survey. The most important barriers were resource issues (66.7% agreed), dental provider difficulties (29.4%), referral problems (24.2%), and low priority (15.2%). Top individual barriers were lack of start-up funds (88%), lack of physical space (74%), lack of available funding sources (71%), and low reimbursement rates for dental services (69%). Most centers (78%) identified a need for dental services for their patients. CONCLUSIONS Access to oral health care remains a large problem for the underserved. Institutional barriers will need to be addressed to close the gap.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008507	Medically Underserved Area	A geographic location which has insufficient health resources (manpower and/or facilities) to meet the medical needs of the resident population.	National Health Service Corps,Physician Shortage Area,Area, Medically Underserved,Health Service Corps, National,Medically Underserved Population,Area, Physician Shortage,Areas, Medically Underserved,Areas, Physician Shortage,Medically Underserved Areas,Medically Underserved Populations,Physician Shortage Areas,Population, Medically Underserved,Populations, Medically Underserved,Shortage Area, Physician,Shortage Areas, Physician,Underserved Area, Medically,Underserved Areas, Medically,Underserved Population, Medically,Underserved Populations, Medically
D009519	New York City	City located at the mouth of the Hudson River, in New York State.
D012017	Referral and Consultation	The practice of sending a patient to another program or practitioner for services or advice which the referring source is not prepared to provide.	Consultation,Gatekeepers, Health Service,Hospital Referral,Second Opinion,Consultation and Referral,Health Service Gatekeepers,Hospital Referrals,Referral,Referral, Hospital,Referrals, Hospital,Consultations,Gatekeeper, Health Service,Health Service Gatekeeper,Opinion, Second,Opinions, Second,Referrals,Second Opinions
D012051	Reimbursement Mechanisms	Processes or methods of reimbursement for services rendered or equipment.	Mechanism, Reimbursement,Mechanisms, Reimbursement,Reimbursement Mechanism
D003752	Dental Health Services	Services designed to promote, maintain, or restore dental health.	Health Services, Dental,Services, Dental Health,Dental Health Service,Health Service, Dental,Service, Dental Health
D003815	Dentists	Individuals licensed to practice DENTISTRY.	Dentists, Pediatric,Dentists, Prosthetic,Dentists, Restorative,Periodontists,Prosthodontists,Dentist,Dentist, Pediatric,Dentist, Prosthetic,Dentist, Restorative,Pediatric Dentist,Pediatric Dentists,Periodontist,Prosthetic Dentist,Prosthetic Dentists,Prosthodontist,Restorative Dentist,Restorative Dentists
D005376	Financial Management	The obtaining and management of funds for institutional needs and responsibility for fiscal affairs.	Endowments,Financial Activities,Funds,Activities, Financial,Activity, Financial,Endowment,Financial Activity,Fund,Management, Financial
D006268	Health Facilities	Institutions which provide medical or health-related services.	Facilities, Health,Facility, Health,Health Facility
D006292	Health Priorities	Preferentially rated health-related activities or functions to be used in establishing health planning goals. This may refer specifically to PL93-641.	Priorities, Health,Health Priority,Priority, Health
D006295	Health Resources	Available manpower, facilities, revenue, equipment, and supplies to produce requisite health care and services.	Resources,Health Resource,Resource,Resource, Health,Resources, Health