Few challenges strike as much fear in a dentist’s heart as the need to talk to one of their patients who has been harmed by their dental care. The desire to be open with the patient about what happened can naturally conflict with concern about potential legal and reputational consequences of such discussions. Most dentists have not had formal training in how to navigate the complex decisions about how much information to share and how to respond to the upset emotions that injured patients often experience. These open discussions with patients about dental harm are one important example of the transparency that forms the backbone of a culture of safety. In this session, Thomas Gallagher, MD, will share best practices for communicating with patients who have been harmed by their dental care and describe how these skills reinforce the key behaviors needed to support patients and drive learning in dentistry.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Identify three steps they can take today to enhance a culture of patient safety in their practice.
2. Explain three reasons why transparency is essential to a culture of safety.
3. Describe the critical communication skills required to respond effectively when patients are harmed by their dental care.

Steps to Complete Course:

1. Click on On-Demand Recording below and watch the video
2. Complete the Assessment (requires a passing score of 70%)
3. Complete the Evaluation 
   • Once you complete the Evaluation, you can find your CE Certificate under MY ACCOUNT > MY CERTIFICATES