PATIENT SAFETY:A GUIDE TO ENSURING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONSABOUT DENTAL CAREDentaQuest Partnership Continuing Education Webinar August 6, 2020

DOI: 10.35565/DQP.2020.3012

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize the difference between communications and communication, and understand why both are necessary when helping patients return to dental care in a COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 environment.

2. Understand the basics of a communications plan in conveying practice changes, additional armamentarium or office equipment and modified clinical treatments due to COVID-19.

3. Explore a communications plan, like the one produced by the Organization for Safety Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP).

4. Apply communication strategies to address patient concerns when returning to dental care settings.

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Housekeeping

• All lines will remain muted to avoid background noise.• A copy of the slides and a link to the recording will be shared after the webinar

concludes. • In order to receive CE credit you must fill out the webinar evaluation, which

will be shared at the end of the presentation. The evaluation must be completed by EOD Friday, August 21 to receive CE credit. CE certificates will be distributed a few days after the webinar takes place.

The DentaQuest Partnership is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. This presentation has been planned and implemented in accordance with the standards of the ADA CERP.

*Full disclosures available upon request

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Q&A Logistics

After the presentations we hope to have some time for Q&AWe will be monitoring the chat box through the entire presentation and we will do our best to answer all questions.• Type your question in the chat box

and make sure you send it to allpanelists.

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Presenters

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• Consultant, Dentaquest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement and Elevate Oral Care

• Clinician, Clinica Family Health – Denver, CO• Adjunct Faculty, University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine• Member, Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers

Matt Allen, DDSPresidentM David MI Inc

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• Consultant working with DQP and other clients

• IHI Improvement Coach• Former Dental Director• Teledentistry since 2009

Carolyn Brown, DDSSenior Strategic Advisor DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement

• DDS, University of Maryland School of Dentistry• Certificate, Value-based Care, Geisel School of

Medicine, Dartmouth College (In progress)• MAEd, University of the Pacific• BS, University of Maryland• Speaker, researcher, expert advisor, review panel

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• Director of Occupational Health and Safety, and the Forsyth Research Subject & Patient Safety Advocate at The Forsyth Institute

• Adjunct faculty at Regis College, Dental Hygiene Program, teaching a senior level course, “Evidence-Based Decision Making”

• 2017-2019 Chair of the OSAP Board of Directors and a consultant for the American Dental Association (ADA) Council on Dental Practice

• Faculty for the New England AIDS Education and Training Centers and HIVdent.org • Published papers and contributed to several texts on infection control and safety• An author of the CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings – 2003;

has lectured nationally and internationally on these topics

Kathy Eklund, RDH, MHPDirector of Occupational Health and SafetyPatient and Research Participant Safety Advocate, The Forsyth Institute

I have no financial interest in any products or devices that may be included in this presentation. Images of products or devices are for representative purposes only.

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CommunicationsThe messages transmitted or methods used to transmit the messages

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CommunicationInterpersonal exchange of information

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EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION(S)STARTS WITH EMPATHY

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GOOD INFORMATION MESSAGED POORLY IS NOT HELPFUL

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Communications roadmap

Gather TeamSmall, nimble, DIVERSE team to develop AND monitor success

Set Goals

Develop

Identify audience(s)Available communications channelsStrategic messages

Clear, consistent messagesInternal and patient-facing beta-test

Implement, Monitor, Evaluate

Evaluate Patient feedbackUtilization metrics Staff responses

START

END

Gather InfoMonitor, evaluate, plan

Adapted from The Pink Book: Making Health Communication Programs Work : a Planner's Guide. [Bethesda, Md.] :U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, [Office of Cancer Communications, National Cancer Institute], 2002.

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Information• Federal, state, local guidance,

orders, mandates• Infection control and environmental

asepsis information• Business implications

Team• Include leadership• Clinician • Frontline • Patient or Board of Director

Gather informationGather Team

Gather Info

Who, What, How Monitor Diverse, Nimble, Planners and Doers

17https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/DentistryMasterGuidance.pdf

18https://kyoralhealthcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dental-Reopening-Infographic-May-2020.pdf

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Develop Content• Internal • Patient-facing• Community

Streamline Messages• Simple, Clear • 4th-6th grade• Use Visuals

Communications

Beta-Test• Internal and External• Evaluate

Develop

Tailor to Your Audience

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Health literacy = Clear messaging

• Organize,1st most important

• Simple wording

• Small bites of info

• Active voice

Plainlanguage.gov

• Active voice

• Visual aids

• 14+ serif font

• 4th-6th grade

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AGP LRP

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Example:

Plainlanguage.gov

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Digital• Websites,

landing pages• Teledentistry• Email/text/mail• Twitter, Facebook,

other social media

Print• Signs in office• Scripts• Multiple locations• Languages

Communications modalities

In-Person• Telephone• Procedure-centric• Team training,

education, huddles• Screeners

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Communications success

• Use qualitative and quantitative measures

• Evaluate workflow and job descriptions to support

• Continually monitor information, communication

• LISTEN, ASK and INFORM

Evaluate

Implement, Monitor, Evaluate

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To evaluate the prep communications

Did we do a good job of preparing you for your visit today?

To evaluate in-office communications

Did our team work with you in making you comfortable today?

To plan for the near-future communications

What, if any, questions mightI be able to help you answer?

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Communications Communication

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Why you should feel safe…

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How we can address your concerns.

What matters to you?

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Setting and Speech

Hold eye contact

Ask open-ended questions

Relationally share

information

Express gratitude

and warmth

Learning to SHARE:Five essentials for patient-centered communication during synchronous teledentistry

Allen, M., Brown, C. Five essentials for patient-centered communication during synchronous teledentistry. BDJ In Pract 33, 23 (2020).

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Patient safety starts with your team

Practice with your teams

Include the WHOLE team

Acknowledge the situation

Lift to mission

Celebrate wins and success

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Please Thank You

Grenny J. ”5 Tips for Safely Reopening Your Office”. Harvard Business Review, May 2020.

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Messaging to patients

• Updated infection control policies and procedures to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to patients and dental professionals

• New procedures based on interim guidance from the CDC and other federal, state, and local agencies

– COVID-19 virus is new and guidance from these organizations and the protocols may change over time

Before your appointment

• You may receive a call from our office 1-2 days before your scheduled appointment to ask some specific screening questions about any COVID-19-related symptoms you may have, or if anyone in your household is symptomatic or has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

• If you or anyone in your household has COVID-19 symptoms, your appointment will be rescheduled.

• Patients undergoing certain procedures may be asked to obtain a COVID-19 test before the appointment.

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Arriving at the dental office

Arrival at the dental office, patient may be:• Asked to text or call before entering• Required to wear a face covering before entering the building• Asked to come alone to your appointment to limit the number of people on siteOnce inside: • Same pre-appointment screening questions• Take temperature – less than 100˚F, ask patient to sit in the waiting area or take

directly to the treatment room• Ask patient to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer

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• Physical barrier between the receptionist and patients

• Receptionist wears a face covering or mask

• Disinfect pens, payment pads and other equipment used to check in patients and receive payments

Changes in the reception area and patient waiting room

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• Social distancing – Chairs placed at least 6 feet apart– Signs that some seats are not

currently available

• Remove magazines, pamphlets, and toys

• Remove self-service coffee, tea, and water in the waiting area

Changes in the reception area and patient waiting room

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• Additional signage– Social distancing – Face coverings – Hand hygiene– Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette

• Additional hand sanitizer, tissues, and waste receptacles

Changes in the reception area and patient waiting room

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• Depending upon the dental procedure, dental staff wearing different PPE– N95 respirator, facemask,

a full face shield, hair coverings, and foot coverings

• Type and amount of PPE will vary, depending on the level of risk in the community and the type of treatment

Receiving dental services in the treatment room

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Receiving dental services in the treatment room

• Containers and items removed from the treatment room or placed in closed cabinets and drawers

• Only what is needed for the specific patient procedure is out

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Additional equipment in the room to enhance air circulation and purification• Example, higher-level filters may be

used for the ventilation system • Enhance air flow –

open windows during treatment • Position dental chair in a

different position to facilitate appropriate airflow

Receiving dental services in the treatment room

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Dental offices that do not have individual rooms for treatment –additional barriers:• Curtains • Dividers

Receiving dental services in the treatment room

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CDC recommends that dental providers avoid aerosol-generating procedures that are more likely to generate spray with higher concentrations of the virus than coughing, sneezing, talking or breathinghttps://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/dental-settings.html

Some dental procedures may be different

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The dental hygienist• Hand scaling not

sonic/ultrasonic scaling• Toothbrush prophy to remove

plaque instead of motor polish

Some dental procedures may be different

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Full mouth dental dam for restorative and prosthetic procedures.

Some dental procedures may seem different

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Some dental procedures may seem different

External suctioning device topull aerosols away

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Two days following patient appointment ask the patient:• Same pre-appointment

screening questions • To contact the office over the next

week if develop symptoms or are diagnosed with COVID-19

After appointment

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Resource from OSAP

Aspects of dental care have changed in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic Practices are taking steps to assure dental care is provided in the safest possible manner – one that protects both patients and personnel

https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.osap.org/resource/resmgr/dentaquest/INC-1353_Best_Practices_for_.pdf

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AGP How to discuss with patients?

QUESTIONS?

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Webinar Evaluation https://www.dentaquestpartnership.org/node/209569*Must complete by EOD Friday, August 21 in order to receive CE credit

Upcoming Webinars:• Big Data Analytics in Dental Public Health Research: The Promise of

Integration - TBD• Closing the Innovation Gap in Oral Health- TBD

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