Abstract

The Dynamics of Risk Management in Oral healthcare for the Dental Office

Author(s): Sahar Wasiq

The competitive and globally shrinking nature of healthcare service has also infiltrated the Oral Healthcare systems weather it is the public healthcare system or private. Patients are more assertive of their rights to oral health and the clinical pathways. This lecture shall overview the need for having for proper clinical pathways and top ten potential risks in dental health centers or private practices that if not addressed or learned from ,can turn into heavy claims and adverse incidents. Leadership, Clinic Managers, Nurses and Oral hygienists all contribute and support to provide a safety-net system to patients. Ethical Advertising, Confidentiality, Consent, Dental Records, Complaints, Negligence and Claims, Patient Safety and Quality Assurance, Clinical Audits, Team building are the new additions from just performing simple basic dental procedures to the most robust oral surgeries. Risk Management has proactive and reactive components that most dental staff are aware of, improving quality of patient care, incidence reporting, running clinical audits and surgical audits will improve health care system in addition to reduce the gap between the Management floor and the Dental Hospital floor. Creating the right mix of culture, with leadership mentoring dental teams, patient care pathways, and addressing the daily risks that dentists and patients come across can actually improve patient satisfaction, improve quality care being imparted and reduce litigation issues for the dental office.