: Raj Rattan, John Tiernan
: Risk Management in General Dental Practice
: Quintessence Publishing Co Inc USA
: 9781850973331
: 1
: CHF 17.90
:
: Zahnheilkunde
: English
: 164
: DRM
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
The need for an effective risk-management strategy for the dental profession has never been greater as dentists face the dual challenges of regulation and legislation and cope with the heightened expectations of an informed public. This book explores the many facets of risk management, including consent, ethical issues, effective communication, complaint resolution, and risk assessment.

Chapter 2


Principles of Risk Management


Risk management is a relatively young discipline. Its principles are rooted in the mathematics of probability and the logical constructs of decision-making amidst uncertainty. The threats of litigation, the so-called complaints culture, negative media coverage have all become increasingly common in dentistry in recent years, and have forced the hand of risk management for dentists.

Risk management is considered by the Medical Protection Society to be “understanding the risks of clinical practice – and overcoming them in a planned (and) positive way”. We can define it as the systematic approach to setting the best course of action under the burden of uncertainty by identifying, assessing, understanding, acting on and communicating risk issues.

Core Principles


The key points of risk management to bear in mind are:

  • It is directed at uncertainty related to future events and outcomes, which implies that all planning exercises encompass some form of risk management.

  • It should be a practice-wide activity and an integral part of everyday practice management.

  • It should be a continuous and proactive process – this ensures that less time is spent reacting to situations and more time is spent taking advantage of opportunities.

  • It should inform effective decision-making.

  • It is the responsibility of the dental team, since all individuals at clinical and non-clinical levels can provide some insight into the nature, likelihood and impacts of risk.

Many writers have endorsed these observations. In an article in the Journal of the American Dental Association (June 2002), Graskemper stated: “Risk management in dentistry has been developed over the years by concentrating on recording treatment in dental records and informing patients of the proposed treatment before treating them.” The author identified the purpose of his article as an attempt to: “Advance the concept of risk management through higher involvement of the entire office staff by increasing communication with patients.”

He concluded: “By integrating practice management concepts with risk manageme