Network practitioners share data, technologies, and techniques.
The client provides us a list of practitioner offices the client wants to reach and we either match our network practitioners to that list or, upon agreement with the client, include offices into which the network may grow.
Network practitioners had a lower proportion of patients exempt from payment (23.7%).
On average, network practitioners report 15.3 years of experience (SD = 9.4).
A total of 79% of ADA survey participants were general dentists, compared to 80% of network practitioners.
Gender distribution in the ADA survey was 17% female [p. 6], compared to 27% female for network practitioners.
The mean age in the ADA survey was 52.8 years [p. 5]; compared to 49.9 years for network practitioners.
These indicators and their trends were described and compared to the data of sentinel network practitioners who reported the percentage of consultations for ILI.
A total of 64% of patients had private dental insurance in the ADA Survey [p. 23], compared to 59% for network practitioners.
Practitioners comprise a convenience sample that is recruited at dental meetings, continuing education courses, by other network practitioners, announcements from dental organizations, mass mailings using dental licensure lists, or via the network's internet site.
Because ADA Survey respondents cannot be practitioners in public health clinics, federal or tribal facilities, community health centers, or dental schools (provided they do not see private patients in the dental school), comparisons to network practitioners are limited in that regard.
