Complaints Handling and Patient Retention: Turning Complaints into Loyalty

About This Course

Learn effective complaints handling in dental practices. Understand different types of complaints, communication, conflict resolution techniques, legal and ethical aspects, and patient retention strategies.

Why Take This Course?

This course addresses the common problem of handling complaints in dental practices. Dental professionals often face complaints from patients, and it can be challenging to handle them effectively while maintaining a positive patient relationship. This course provides strategies for effective complaints handling, including communication skills, empathy, and conflict resolution techniques. It also covers the legal and ethical aspects of complaints handling, which are crucial for dental professionals to understand. By learning the techniques and strategies covered in this course, dental professionals can be better equipped to handle complaints and maintain positive patient relationships.

This course on complaints handling in dental practices offers comprehensive coverage of strategies for effective complaints handling, including communication, conflict resolution, and legal and ethical aspects. It also provides guidance on patient retention strategies.

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How This Course Supports GDC Enhanced Dental CPD

“Dental professionals have a duty to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. A primary qualification is only the first step in their education and development which should last throughout their professional life” General Dental Council

Learning Objectives	Anticipated Outcomes
1: By the end of this course, learners will be able to understand the relevance, types and approach to complaints handling in dental practices.	#REF!
2: Upon completion, learners will have the capacity to distinguish between different types of complaints typical to a dental practice, and identify the best ways to address them.
3: Participants will demonstrate their ability to apply the ethical and legal principles guiding complaints handling in dental practices, specifically in line with regulations set by bodies such as the General Dental Council.
4: By the final session, learners will have mastered the art of converting potentially dissatisfying situations into opportunities for learning, thereby improving patient care and personal development.
5: At the course’s conclusion, attendees will have developed the competency to design effective complaints handling procedures for their own practice, enhancing patient satisfaction and trust in the process.

Regulatory Standards

GDC	CQC
✅ A – Effective Communication ✅ B – Effective Management ✅ C – Maintenance in Field of Practice ✅ D – Maintenance in Patient Confidence	✅ Caring ✅ Effective ✅ Leadership ✅ Responsive ✅ Safe

🕐 90 minutes of Enhanced Dental CPD

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to complaints handling in dental practices, covering the importance of complaints handling, understanding different types of complaints, recognizing potential complaints, effective communication, and scenario analysis. It also discusses strategies for effective complaints handling, such as listening skills, validation and acknowledgment, quick solutions vs long-term improvements, and professional apologies. The course navigates difficult conversations and emotions, including empathy and compassion, dealing with angry or upset patients, coping mechanisms, and conflict resolution techniques. The legal and ethical aspects of complaints handling are also explored, including legal duty, patient rights, ethical obligations, and professional indemnity. Finally, the course covers patient retention strategies, such as turning complaints into opportunities for improvement, creating a patient-friendly feedback system, and maintaining positive patient relationships.

Course Outline

Section 1

Section 1 of the course covers the fundamental concepts of complaints handling in dental practices. This includes the importance of complaints handling, understanding different types of complaints, recognizing potential complaints, and the role of effective communication in managing complaints. The section also includes an exercise on scenario analysis of common complaint situations.

Section 2

Section 2 of the course covers the strategies for effective complaints handling. This includes developing listening skills, validating and acknowledging complaints, understanding resolution strategies, learning how to apologize professionally, and exploring successful case studies. The section also focuses on navigating difficult conversations and emotions, emphasizing empathy and compassion, dealing with angry or upset patients, and implementing conflict resolution techniques. Additionally, legal and ethical aspects of complaints handling are discussed, including patient rights, ethical obligations, and the importance of keeping accurate and confidential records. Finally, the section covers patient retention strategies, emphasizing the role of effective complaints handling in patient retention and the benefits of maintaining positive patient relationships.

Section 3

Section 3 covers strategies for effective complaints handling, navigating difficult conversations and emotions, legal and ethical aspects of complaints handling, and patient retention strategies. It emphasizes the importance of effective communication, empathy, and compassion in managing complaints, and provides exercises and case studies to help dental staff develop the skills needed to handle complaints professionally and successfully.

Section 4

Section 4 covers the legal and ethical aspects of complaints handling in dental practices, including the legal duty and patient rights involved, understanding ethical obligations, keeping accurate and confidential records, and the implications that complaints handling can have on professional indemnity. The section also includes a case study of real-world dentistry complaints and their legal implications.

Section 5

Section 5 of this course covers strategies for patient retention and how effective complaint handling can lead to positive patient relationships. It includes turning complaints into opportunities for improvement, creating a patient-friendly feedback system, and the benefits of maintaining positive patient relationships. The section also provides key takeaways from the complaints handling process in relation to patient retention.

Course Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Provided comprehensive techniques for dealing with difficult situations and managing patient complaints effectively.

✅ Met Course Objectives

✅ Met Course Outcomes

✅ Would Recommend

✅ Had Positive Impact

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In-depth legal and ethical insights for dental professionals and their obligations when handling patient complaints. Highly recommended.

✅ Met Course Objectives

✅ Met Course Outcomes

✅ Would Recommend

✅ Had Positive Impact

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Practical strategies for patient retention through proactive complaints handling and conflict resolution. A must-take course for dental practitioners.

✅ Met Course Objectives

✅ Met Course Outcomes

✅ Would Recommend

✅ Had Positive Impact

How do I access this course?

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The Enhanced CPD Pro app can be used on any device with a browser. If you’re using a phone or tablet, you can add it to your homescreen for quick access.

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