Using Big Data to Uncover Patient Determinants of Care Utilization Compliance in a Student Dental Clinic.

This study aims at assessing the relationship between social determinants of health (SDH) and dental care utilization compliance in a student dental clinic. Electronic dental records (EDR) were queried based on visit codes and evaluated using descriptive and inferential statistics, and binary logistic regression. Overall, characteristics of 16,474 visits were analyzed to identify potential predictors of appointment compliance. Factors affecting compliance with treatment plans prescribed at comprehensive care visits were identified in a cohort of 6,105 patients. Determinants of compliance with a comprehensive care visit following triage visits were analyzed in a cohort of 5491 patients. Results indicated that certain patient characteristics were associated with either increased or decreased compliance with dental care utilization. We concluded that EDR can be instrumental in identifying patterns of care utilization and determinants of patient compliance based on SDH.