Patient Preference and Adherence (Dec 2024)
Patients’ Preferences for the Treatment of a Single Missing Tooth in China: A Discrete Choice Experiment
Abstract
Ming-yu Zhao,1,* Wen Zeng,2,* Sze Ngai Chan,3 Jianhao Du,4 Naman Rao,5 Taoran Liu,6 Wai-kit Ming6 1Department of Prosthodontics, State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Orthodontics, Stomatological Hospital, School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 5Henry M Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; 6Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Wai-kit Ming, Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: The main treatment options offered to patients to choose from when restoring a single missing tooth include tooth-supported three-unit fixed partial dentures (FPDs) and implant-supported single crowns (ISCs). However, due to the heterogeneity of current studies, it is difficult to objectively compare these two treatment strategies. In this study, a discrete choice experiment (DCE) was used to quantify the preferences of individuals undergoing restoration treatment for single tooth loss.Patients and Methods: The DCE questionnaire was disseminated in a “snowball” fashion, with data collected from participants aged 18– 60. Five important attributes of treatment were selected: (1) treatment procedure, (2) treatment time, (3) cost, (4) five-year survival rate, and (5) five-year complication rate. A conditional logit model was employed to ascertain the direction of participants’ preferences for specific attribute levels and to derive their willingness to pay (WTP) through the principle of marginal utility.Results: 287 participants completed the questionnaire. The results of the questionnaire revealed that the five-year complication rate (42.42%) was the most important attribute, followed by cost (20.43%), five-year survival rate (14.23%), treatment time (13.44%), and treatment procedure (9.49%). Participants were willing to pay RMB$11076.2 (USD$1,772.2) to obtain a 10% extra reduction in the five-year complication rate, and RMB$7434.6 (USD$1,189.5) for a non-invasive treatment.Conclusion: In the ranking of the relative importance of key factors affecting single missing tooth restoration, complication rates are most highly valued, suggesting that reducing the complication rate is a key issue to be addressed in prosthodontics. In addition, deriving the ranking of patients’ concerns about key factors can help to improve doctor-patient communication and provide a reference for treatment technology development and medical decision-making.Keywords: choice behavior, discrete choice experiment, restoration treatment, patients’ preferences
