Factors affecting sick leave prescribing by dentists

Abstract

Objectives

The aim was to examine the prescribing of sick leave by dentists and factors affecting prescribing practices.

Methods

A questionnaire study covering sick leave-prescribing practice during the preceding year and in response to 16 hypothetical patient cases was conducted among 1132 Finnish dentists. The effects of both dentist-related and local structural background variables on sick leave prescribing were studied.

Results

During the preceding year, dentists who were young, male, or practicing in small municipalities prescribed more days of sick leave than comparator groups. In response to the 16 hypothetical cases, dentists prescribed a mean of 31.6 days of sick leave (range, 0–98 days). The dentists with a specialty degree in oral and maxillofacial surgery prescribed longer sick leave than other dentists. Dentists working only in public dental services (PDS) and older dentists prescribed significantly less sick leave than others.

Conclusions

There is considerable variation among dentists in sick leave-prescribing practices. The most significant factors affecting this variation are having a specialty in oral and maxillofacial surgery and working only in PDS. Further education and guidelines on dental sick leave prescribing are needed.