Dentaltown May 2013 - (Page 28)

second opinion column » Prevent a Tulsa Repeat by Richard Mounce, DDS Second opinions are common in health care, whether a doctor is sorting out a difficult case or a patient is not sure what to do next. In the context of our magazine, the first opinion will always belong to the reader. This feature will allow fellow dental professionals to share their opinions on various topics, providing you with a “second opinion.” Perhaps some of these observations will change your mind, while others will solidify your position. In the end, our goal is to create discussion and debate to enrich our profession. – Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine Dental professionals are as shocked by the allegations coming from Tulsa at this moment as the general public. The basic rules of sterilization and assurance of patient safety being broken are tough to wrap one’s head around. The events raise many difficult questions: How and why did this happen? How can we prevent such a situation from occurring again? Is more regulation the answer? More regulation is not the answer. With all due respect, we cannot legislate against every random act of stupidity, malice and neglect. There is ample evidence that some people, despite regulations and all manner of prohibitions, will commit irrational and malevolent acts against basic human values. Such events happen because of neglect, apathy, indifference and a lack of management systems and leadership. It is my observation as a specialist and practice owner that unless staff are trained, retrained continually, given checklists and supervised, whatever policies and procedures one might set up initially will either fail to be carried out or morph with unintended consequence through a lack of application. In any event, leadership is essential to guarantee that the substance of what must be done in the office to protect patients (over and above the legal requirements) must be present. In essence, the doctor owns all the actions of the staff at every level. Hence the training, monitoring, retraining, continuing education, and policies and procedures to assure patient safety is never delegated away from the leader, generally the doctor. Leadership is hard work. Some staff, for reasons well beyond the scope of this article, either don’t want to or are not cognitively able to comply with instructions. At times it can feel as though the doctor and the staff are playing tug-of-war. At the end of the day though, the doctor is the team’s captain and he or she selects who plays on the team. Those who will not comply and commit to the goals of the team should be released to play on another team where they might be able to contribute more constructively. Patient safety is not open to discussion or negotiation. The leader assures that it is present. Asking what general dentists can do to assure that their specialists are adhering to optimal procedures across every spectrum is complex, but important. Ideally, GPs should know their specialists personally and be on a first-name basis. They should meet for a meal at least every six months, speak on the phone about cases when needed and share knowledge when asked. The specialists should welcome the GPs into their offices. The greater the degree of connectedness between the two parties, the better. It is my observation that this ideal relationship happens at times, but more often than not, only to a limited degree. While situations and relationships vary widely across an infinite number of parameters (distance between offices, region of the country, numbers of GPs versus specialists, economic condition of the community, presence of large 28 MAY 2013 » dentaltown.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown May 2013

Dentaltown.com Highlights
Howard Speaks: Is Dentistry Getting Too Easy?
Professional Courtesy: High Tide for High Tech
Continuing Education Update
Industry News
Second Opinion: The Stainless-Steel Crown for Primary Molars
Special Second Opinion: Prevent a Tulsa Repeat
Simple Two-implant CT Guided Case
Does Your Staff Ask for Referrals?
Your 2013 Website Optimization Starts Today
I Attended Your CE and All I Got Was This Crappy Notebook
Dentaltown Research: CAD/CAM
New Products
DIY Finance, Part VI: Red Flags and Scams
Employee Working Interviews: They’re Legal, Aren’t They?
The Sleeping Giant in Your Practice
What’s on My Tray? Prep and Impression, Crown and Bridge
Continuing Education: Articaine and Paresthesia in Dental Anesthesia: Neurotoxicity or Procedural Trauma?
Concentric Circles Dentaltown’s annual focus on the charitable side of dentistry
All the Things Money Can’t Buy
Taking on Pro-bono Cases
Doing Good and Doing Well
Global Dental Relief
Giving Thanks, One Smile at a Time
Big Help on a Local Level
Oral Health America
You Should Know: Climb for a Cause
In This Issue: Where Should Prevention Begin?
Perio Reports
Ad Index
Profile in Oral Health Prada or Prevention: A Look at Public Health and Oral Health
Dentally Incorrect

Dentaltown May 2013