RECORD KEEPING ONLINE COURSE
ADPA is proud to be partnering with Dental Compliance Australia to offer this course to our members.
Details: Online Course - Record Keeping
Cost: $275.00 ADPA Members only. *Please note: To register at the member rate you will need to log into your Member Centre.
CPD: 2.0 scientific hours
Important Information:
Once you have registered and paid, you can complete this course at your leisure over a period of time.
Once completed in full, a verification of completion for the course will be emailed to you from Dental Compliance Australia. As this is an external Online CPD Course you will need to enter the details into your CPD yourself.
*This is an ADPA member only course and is not available for non- members.
What tends to go wrong with record keeping?
When a notification (complaint) occurs, the dental records pertaining to that case are reviewed, and around 75% of dental records submitted in relation to a complaint fall below an acceptable standard.
Specific common deficiencies in dental records observed are failure to document a diagnosis and informed consent.
Given that it is the role of the Dental Board (DBA) to protect the public, a failure to identify a diagnosis and informed consent within the dental records may indicate that they were never attained, which can attract obvious concern. Verbal recollections will seldom hold more credence than the written contemporaneous documentation. Conversely, the dental practitioner who has ensured adherence to the DBA Guidelines through whatever mechanism favoured (checklist, template, or systematic recording process), will be well-positioned in consideration of the care and process undertaken.
Having good dental records is not just important during a complaint process. Good dental records also assist in patient safety, continuity of care, communication, auditing, and forensics. However, dental records tend to come into focus when a complaint process is initiated.
There are three key DBA documents that are relevant to dental records.
The first one is a 25-page document titled the ‘Code of Conduct’. Section 8.4 of the Code of Conduct relates specifically to Health Records. The previous DBA Guidelines on Dental Records were retired on 1st October 2020. At the same time, the DBA released a Fact Sheet and Reflective Tool for Dental Records.
These documents highlight the role of the Code of Conduct in the regulation of dental record compliance. The reflective tool also provides useful guidance on the specific elements that are part of a complete dental record, as well as a checklist to help practitioners to reflect on the systems they use for managing records. It is an expectation that these documents have been read by all registered dental practitioners and dental practitioners specifically agree to comply with them each year.
Important Information:
Once you have registered you will receive a confirmation email and receipt followed by a second email with instructions on how to access the course.