27
Volume2 Issue5
|
I
ssues and
P
eople
New initiativeswithin theDental Services atCanadianForcesHealthServicesGrouphave the potential to
improve patient outcomes
CHANGINGTHECULTURE
OF
PATIENTSAFETYINDENTISTRY
(L. to r.): ShobaRanganathan, ChiefQualityandPatient Safety
Officer, CanadianForcesHealthServicesGroup (CFHSG) and
LieutenantColonel (Dr.) Brenda Joy,DirectorateofDental
Services, CFHSG.
Very rarely is an errordeliberate or
the result of incompetence.Usually,
an error occurs because of a system
failure or process breakdown.
–ShobaRanganathan
F
or all healthcareprofessionals, apri-
marygoal is thedeliveryof safecare
toproducebetter patient outcomes.
But ensuringpatient safety requires
knowledgeof the risks—anarea that
hasnot beenwell studied indentistry. At
theCanadianForcesHealthServicesGroup
(CFHSG), new initiativespromise to shed
some light onpatient safety indentistry,
startingwithmilitarydental clinics.
TheKnowledgeGap
Muchof the research todateonpatient
safety focusesonmedicineand, inparticular,
patients seen inacutecarehospital
settingswhere it’s easier to trackerrors and
their potential impacts. Incomparison, a
systematicapproach topatient safety in
dentistryandother formsof healthcare
provided inambulatorycare settingshas
been limited.
However, strategies and initiatives to
enhancepatient safety in these sectors
arebecomingmorecommon, says Shoba
Ranganathan, ChiefQualityandPatient
SafetyOfficerwithin theCFHSG. “For several
years, Iworkedas aquality improvement
manager in theCanadianArmedForces
medical clinics,” she says. “When Iwasgiven
theopportunity tomanage theprogram
for theentireCFHSG, involving thedental
serviceswas anewandexcitingcomponent.
Thedental personnelwerevery interested
andwilling toengage in thepatient safety
program, knowing the impact it couldhave
on their patients.”
As forwhydentistry lagsbehindmedicine
in its approach topatient safety, Lieutenant
Colonel (Dr.) Brenda Joy, from theDirectorate
ofDental Serviceswithin theCFHSG,
adds, “Themedicalworldhas alsohad
accreditationactivitiespush thepatient
safetyagenda. Formal accreditationof dental
clinics is anewer concept, sodirecting
efforts todevelopa strongorganizational
cultureof patient safety isnot something
that is as apparentwithin thegreater dental
community.”
Ms. Ranganathan stresses the importance
of understandingpatient safety froma
dentistry-specificperspective. “Inoutpatient-
typehealthcare settings, patient safety
incidents that occur aredifferent than in
acutecare settings;manyof themcentreon
communicationanddocumentationerrors,”
Seealso:
“OptimizingPatient
Safety: CanWeLearn
From theAirline
Industry?” by
Drs. RichardSpeers
andChristopher
McCulloch
or
