Dental Ethics: Guiding Principles for Complaints Handling

About This Course

Learn how to effectively handle dental complaints with our comprehensive course. Topics include ethics, communication techniques, case-studies, and more.

Why Take This Course?

The course addresses a common problem faced by UK dental professionals, which is handling dental complaints effectively. This is a challenging task as complaints can be emotionally charged and difficult to handle. The course equips dental professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to manage complaints in a professional and effective manner, thereby reducing the risk of escalation and legal action. By covering topics such as ethics, communication techniques, and process improvement, the course provides a holistic approach to complaints management that can benefit both dental professionals and patients.

Enrolling in this course would be beneficial as it covers a range of topics related to dental complaints handling, including understanding the basics of dental complaints, principles of dental ethics, guidelines for effective complaints handling, communication techniques for complaints management, and reviewing and improving complaints handling process. The inclusion of case-studies, exercises, and thought-experiments ensures a comprehensive understanding of the topic.

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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 develop, articulate, and implement effective strategies for successfully resolving patient complaints, demonstrating enhanced listening skills, empathy, and effective communication techniques in dental practice.	1: Upon completion of the course, participants are expected to adopt and implement effective strategies for complaint resolution, demonstrating improved listening, empathy, and communication skills within their dental practice.
2: Upon completion, learners will have the capacity to utilize negative feedback constructively, effectively respond to patient complaints, and demonstrate their capability to implement changes for service improvement and practice growth.	2: As a result of this course, dental professionals will likely foster a culture of continuous improvement within their practice by utilizing patient feedback as a tool for service enhancement.
3: Participants will effectively demonstrate their understanding and application of ethical principles in handling dental complaints, particularly respecting patient autonomy and confidentiality.	3: The course should lead to participants’ expanded understanding and application of ethical principles on confidentiality and patient autonomy in complaint handling.
4: By the final session, learners will have mastered the technique of employing transparency in handling patient complaints, showcasing their ability to contribute trust-building measures and improve patient-practitioner relationships.	4: In the wider context, the course aims to contribute to creating a more open and patient-centered environment in the field of dentistry by improving transparency in complaint management.
5: At the course’s conclusion, attendees will have developed the competency to conduct a Root Cause Analysis for identifying the core issues behind patient complaints and formulating appropriate solutions.	5: Following the course, there is an expectation that attendees will apply Root Cause Analysis techniques to identify and address the core issues behind patient complaints, contributing to a reduction of recurring problems within their practice.

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

The course covers topics such as understanding the basics of dental complaints, principles of dental ethics, guidelines for effective complaints handling, communication techniques for complaints management, and reviewing and improving complaints handling process. It includes case-studies, exercises, and thought-experiments to provide a comprehensive understanding of dental complaints handling.

Course Outline

Section 1

The course covers the basics of dental complaints, principles of dental ethics, guidelines for effective complaints handling, communication techniques for complaints management, and continuous improvement in complaints handling. It also includes case studies and exercises to help improve skills in managing dental complaints.

Section 2

Section 2 of the course covers the principles of dental ethics and their relation to complaints handling, the importance of effective complaints handling, communication strategies for complaints management, and the process of reviewing and improving complaints handling procedures. Students will learn the four principles of dental ethics and how they apply to complaint resolution, as well as the legalities involved in handling complaints. Effective communication techniques and strategies for difficult conversations with patients will also be explored. Finally, the section will cover best practices for continuous improvement and learning from complaints.

Section 3

Section 3 of this course covers the basics of dental complaints, including why patients make complaints and the impact they can have on a dental practice. The section also delves into the principles of dental ethics and how they relate to handling complaints, as well as guidelines for effective complaints handling and the importance of good communication in complaint resolution. Finally, Section 3 covers the importance of continuous improvement in complaints handling and offers best practices for reviewing and learning from complaints.

Section 4

Section 4 of this course covers communication and complaints handling in the dental industry. It includes topics such as the role of communication in complaints handling, effective communication techniques, navigating difficult conversations with patients, and the role of evidence in complaints management. The section also includes a case-study on complaint resolution and communication.

Section 5

Section 5 of this course content focuses on reviewing and improving the complaints handling process. It covers the importance of continuous improvement, best practices for reviewing complaints handling processes, lessons learned from dental complaints cases, and how to learn from complaints. The section concludes with a course summary highlighting key takeaways and best practices in dental complaints handling.

Course Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The course was very informative and provided practical advice on handling dental complaints. I particularly appreciated the case-studies which helped to illustrate the concepts taught.

✅ Met Course Objectives

✅ Met Course Outcomes

✅ Would Recommend

✅ Had Positive Impact

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I found the course to be very thorough and well-organized. The communication techniques for complaints management were especially helpful and I feel more confident in handling difficult patient interactions now.

✅ Met Course Objectives

✅ Met Course Outcomes

✅ Would Recommend

✅ Had Positive Impact

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This course was a great refresher on dental ethics and complaints handling. The exercises and thought-experiments were engaging and helped me to apply the concepts to real-life situations.

✅ Met Course Objectives

✅ Met Course Outcomes

✅ Would Recommend

✅ Had Positive Impact

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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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