Date of Award

11-4-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MS in Public Health

First Advisor

Dr Muhammad Ashar Malik

Second Advisor

Dr Farhan Raza Khan

Third Advisor

Dr Shafquat Rozi

Department

Community Health Sciences

Abstract

The rising inflation rates in Pakistan have affected the healthcare system of the country, especially the dental care, that has reduced the affordability and accessibility of oral health services. This study aims to explore the effects of hyperinflation on dental service utilization, particularly focusing on the changing economic trends and their effect on access to basic dental care. The study uses Consumer Price Index (CPI) to capture inflation- a general increase in prices to examines demand for dental services to investigate the disparities in demand for high-cost dental procedures between Pakistani residents and foreign patients. It aims to fill knowledge gaps about the impact of inflation on demand for dental care along with policy implications for improving access to oral health treatments during the period of economic uncertainties. The study used a retrospective data analysis administrative and financial data of the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi from 2017 to 2023, as well as CPI data published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and the State Bank of Pakistan. The findings demonstrate that inflation trends were not associated with a decline in the utilization of dental services, and this was statistically significant (P-value > 0.05) indicating that dental service use seems unaffected by the increase in the general prices and in the prices of dental services. Furthermore, the utilization of high-cost dental treatment shows a statistically significant increase in demand among both local and foreign residents with a 4% higher utilization rate among foreign patients. These findings lack generalizability of the results to the demand for dental services of the general population in Pakistan due to the imbedded limitations of the study design including data sources. However, the high-cost procedures may potentially pose financial barriers to patients. Health policies aiming at establishment of tiered pricing may protect the rights of both patients and dentists while increasing access to oral care

First Page

1

Last Page

55

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