Accreditation of Australian dental practices: Does the low number of reported breaches of patient safety justify the rejection of accreditation?

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 102-106
Author(s):  
Gillian Jean
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Dental Treatment ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Dental Practice ◽  
Dental Patient ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Dental Practices ◽  
Service Standards

Here, our current knowledge of the occurrence of errors during dental treatment in Australia, and whether the Australian National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (Standards) are likely to have an impact in reducing the incidence of errors, is examined. This article is the first critical evaluation of the Standards as they apply to private dental practice in Australia, and therefore contributes to the building of an accreditation scheme that will improve dental patient safety.

Discharge communication from inpatient care: an audit of written medical discharge summary procedure against the new National Health Service Standard for clinical handover

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Brooks Reid ◽  
Shaun R. Parsons ◽  
Stephen D. Gill ◽  
Andrew J. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Discharge Summary ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Department Heads ◽  
Clinical Handover ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Service Standards ◽  
Discharge Summaries ◽  
Summary Procedure

Objective To audit written medical discharge summary procedure and practice against Standard Six (clinical handover) of the Australian National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards at a major regional Victorian health service. Methods Department heads were invited to complete a questionnaire about departmental discharge summary practices. Results Twenty-seven (82%) department heads completed the questionnaire. Seven (26%) departments had a documented discharge summary procedure. Fourteen (52%) departments monitored discharge summary completion and 13 (48%) departments monitored the timeliness of completion. Seven (26%) departments informed the patient of the content of the discharge summary and six (22%) departments provided the patient with a copy. Seven (26%) departments provided training for staff members on how to complete discharge summaries. Completing discharge summaries was usually delegated to the medical intern. Conclusions The introduction of the National Service Standards prompted an organisation-wide audit of discharge summary practices against the external criterion. There was substantial variation in the organisation’s practices. The Standards and the current audit results highlight an opportunity for the organisation to enhance and standardise discharge summary practices and improve communication with general practice. What is known about the topic? The Australian National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (Standard 6) require health service organisations to implement documented systems that support structured and effective clinical handover. Discharge summaries are an important and often the only form of communication during a patient’s transition from hospital to the community. Incomplete, inaccurate and unavailable discharge summaries are common and expose patients to greater health risks. Junior staff members find completing discharge summaries difficult and fail to receive appropriate education or support. There is little published evidence regarding the discharge summary practices of inpatient health services. What does this paper add? The paper demonstrates that there is substantial variation in practice regarding discharge summaries in a large regional health service. Departments have different processes and vary in the degree of attention and quality assurance provided to discharge summaries. Variable organisation procedures make completing discharge summaries more difficult for junior doctors, who regularly move between departments. Variable practice is likely to increase the risk of absent, untimely, incomplete or incorrect communication between acute and community services, thereby reducing the quality of patient care. It is likely that similar findings would be found in other hospitals. What are the implications for practitioners? To be accredited under the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, health organisations must ensure that adequate processes are in place for safe and effective clinical handover. Organisations should reduce the practice variability by standardising processes, monitoring compliance with processes, and training and supporting junior doctors.

Oral Health Impacts on Flavor and Significance in Dental Treatment

2021 ◽  
pp. 238008442199509
Author(s):  
G. Ellender ◽  
P. Moynihan
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Dental Treatment ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Biomedical Science ◽  
Oral Microbiota ◽  
Dental Practice ◽  
Oral Diseases ◽  
Restorative Materials

The mouth is pivotal in the generation of flavor, the pleasure of eating, and the selection of food. Flavor—representing the integration of olfaction (smell) with gustation (physiologic taste) and as influenced by oral somatosenses—is rarely afforded attention in oral research and dental practice. This article considers the interrelationship between oral health and flavor and highlights gaps in current knowledge. Altered oral function associated with operative and restorative treatment can feasibly alter the perception of flavor through diverse ways. Oral diseases and the generation of biofilms on restorative materials have potential to influence the oral microbiota and the perception of flavor. Alterations in masticatory function (through tooth loss, restorative materials, and prostheses with nonbiological surfaces and shapes) compounded by associated influences in the composition and quantity of saliva can affect the release of odorants and tastants from foods and beverages. Furthermore, changes occur in the perception of flavor throughout life and are significant in the aging and medically compromised population with the potential to affect nutrition and pleasure. Dental research and clinical practice should be at the forefront of biomedical science in understanding and promoting the importance and relevance of flavor in the well-being of patients. However, more research is required to guide clinical practice in consideration of olfactory and gustatory function as a component of total patient care. Knowledge Transfer Statement: This commentary highlights the research gaps in knowledge pertaining to the association between oral health and flavor and the significance of flavor to dental practice.

Comparison of the behavior of children undergoing restorative dental treatment at the first visit versus the second visit in a private pediatric dental practice

2001 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warren Brill
Keyword(s):  
Dental Treatment ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Office Visit ◽  
Dental Practice ◽  
Negative Behavior ◽  
Restorative Treatment ◽  
Pediatric Dentist ◽  
Dental Patient ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Rate Behavior

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in the behavior of child patients undergoing restorative dental treatment at the first office visit versus those whose first restorative treatment visit was after an initial non-threatening dental visit in a private pediatric dental practice. For patients up to and including age 9, patient behavior was recorded during the restorative session using the Sarnat scale, which rate behavior in 5 levels, from completely cooperative to completely uncooperative. Variables such as age, method of payment, referral source and sex were also recorded. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the behavior of children, who had the first restorative dental experience at the initial office visit versus those children who had the first restorative procedure after a non-invasive introductory visit in all instances. There were no differences according to age, sex, socio-economic status or source of referral. It is concluded that a child may not exhibit more negative behavior as a restorative dental patient when the first visit is for restorative therapy than if the restorative treatment is delivered at a later date after a non-threatening introduction to the dental environment. Thus, a pediatric dentist need not hesitate to treat a child at the first visit for fear that it may engender more negative behavior than if the restorative dental treatment was postponed until another time.

The critical role of nurses to the successful implementation of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane E. Twigg ◽  
Christine Duffield ◽  
Gemma Evans
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Hospital Performance ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Skill Mix ◽  
National Quality ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Service Standards

The National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards requires health service compliance by 2013 and covers several areas including governance arrangements, partnerships with consumers and eight key clinical processes. Nurses in Australia comprise 62% of the hospital workforce, are the largest component and hence play a critical role in meeting these standards and improving the quality of patient care. Several of the standards are influenced by nursing interventions, which incorporate any direct-care treatment that the nurse performs for a patient that may be nurse or physician initiated. The ability for nurses to undertake these interventions is influenced by the hours of care available, the skill mix of the nursing workforce and the environment in which they practice. Taking into consideration the predicted nursing shortages, the challenge to successfully implement the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards will be great. This paper examines the role of nursing in the delivery of the National Standards, analyses the evidence with regard to nursing-sensitive outcomes and discusses the implications for health service decision makers and policy. What is known about the topic? The National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards have been endorsed for implementation by the Australian Health Ministers. Compliance with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards is required by Health Services in 2013. Nurses play a critical role in providing high-quality patient care and meeting accreditation standards. A decline in nursing standards is associated with inadequate staffing levels and skill mix and a lack of effective leadership and results in an increase in patient mortality. What does this paper add? The role of nurses in achieving compliance with the standards is discussed. We demonstrate that the capacity for nurses to undertake interventions is influenced by prevailing workforce characteristics. Significant nursing shortages have been identified as possible challenges to successfully implementing the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners need to review nursing hours of care, skill mix and the practice environment as part of the actions required to achieve the National Quality and Safety Standards. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has the opportunity to take the lead by including such indicators in the measurement of hospital performance.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic and Dental Practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anuraj Singh Kochhar ◽  
Ritasha Bhasin ◽  
Gulsheen Kaur Kochhar ◽  
Himanshu Dadlani
Keyword(s):  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Dental Treatment ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Healthcare Setting ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Dental Practice ◽  
Extensive Range ◽  
Dental Practices ◽  
Spread Pattern ◽  
And Control

SARS-CoV-2, a virus causing severe acute respiratory syndrome, has inundated the whole world, generating global health concerns. There is a wildfire-like effect, despite the extensive range of efforts exercised by the affected countries to restrain the expanse of this pandemic, owing to its community spread pattern. Dental specialists in the upcoming days will likely come across patients with presumed or confirmed COVID-19 and will have to ensure stringent infection prevention and control to prevent its nosocomial spread. This paper strives to provide a brief overview of the etiology, incubation, symptoms, and transmission paradigms of this novel infection and how to minimize the spread in a dental healthcare setting. This review presents evidence-based patient management practice and protocols from the available literature to help formulate a contingency plan with recommendations, for the dental practices prior to patients’ visit, during in-office dental treatment, and post-treatment, during the pandemic and after.

Does the accreditation of private dental practices work? Time to rethink how accreditation can improve patient safety

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Gillian Jean
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Dental Practitioners ◽  
Dental Practices ◽  
The Impact

Accreditation to demonstrate engagement with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (Standards) is compulsory for most hospital and healthcare settings, but to date remains voluntary for private dental practices (PDPs). The regulatory framework governing the dental profession lacks a proactive element to drive improvements in quality and safety of care, and an accreditation scheme can strengthen existing regulation. The current model of accreditation operating in accordance with the Australian Health Service Safety and Quality Accreditation Scheme (Scheme) is based on the Standards, which were written for a hospital model of healthcare service. The majority of PDPs are small office-based businesses with clear leadership structure and employing six staff or fewer. The Scheme is overly bureaucratic given the simplicity of the PDP business model. This article considers whether accreditation has a proven track record of improving quality of service and offers opinions about how a more appropriate safety management program for PDPs may look. What is known about the topic? There has been minimal research about the impact of accreditation schemes in improving patient safety in PDP. What does this paper add? This paper proposes a redesign of the Scheme to make it more relevant to PDPs. The paper offers strategies to minimise duplication of purpose between accreditation and existing legislation; and to strengthen critical elements of accreditation to improve effects on patient safety. What are the implications for practitioners? A redesigned accreditation scheme will support dental practitioners to implement a quality assurance system with improved efficiency, reduced administrative burden, and optimised patient safety.

scholarly journals KEKUATAN HUKUM PELIMPAHAN WEWENANG DARI DOKTER KEPADA NERS DITINJAU DARI ASPEK PIDANA DAN PERDATA

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 172
Author(s):  
Aning Pattypeilohy ◽  
Sutarno Sutarno ◽  
Adriano Adriano
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Worker ◽  
Health Personnel ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Delegation Of Authority ◽  
Legal Problems ◽  
Standard Operating ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Service Standards

This study aims to provide an overview of the power of law in the delegation of authority from the doctor to ners both in writing and not written. In performing health services, especially in performing medical acts, it is necessary to transfer the authority of medical personnel to health personnel in order to create a comprehensive and quality health service, this has been regulated in related legislation. Ners is a profession professional and independent, in carrying out its professional duties ners work in accordance with service standards, standard operating procedures and the provisions of the Act-legislation. As a health worker, the ners may receive a delegation of authority only in writing from the doctor to him or her so that the delegate has the force of law. With the delegation of authority in health services, if there is a loss or legal problems in the future, doctors as authors and recipients of authority can be held accountable both criminal and civil.

Drug Profile of Adult Patients Attending Five General Dental Practices in Merseyside

2003 ◽  
Vol os10 (4) ◽  
pp. 113-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria J Brindley ◽  
Lesley P Longman ◽  
Christine Randall ◽  
E Anne Field
Keyword(s):  
Dental Care ◽  
Dental Treatment ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
Dental Practice ◽  
Drug Profile ◽  
Dental Patients ◽  
Oral Side ◽  
General Dental Practitioner ◽  
Systemic Medication ◽  
Dental Practices

Objective To evaluate the drug profile of patients attending general dental practice and to assess the significance of this for the provision of dental care. Design and setting Prospective study of adult patients attending five general dental practices in Merseyside. Materials and methods Patients were questioned about prescribed medication. The data were analysed to assess any potential oral side-effects, pertinent drug interactions, or potential complications of dental treatment. Results A total of 1103 patients were recruited; of these, 287 (26%) were taking systemic medication. Conclusion Approximately a quarter of dental patients attending for routine dental care were taking prescribed medication. The majority of these drugs have significant implications for the general dental practitioner.

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