Biomaterial Database

Dental hygiene preceptorship: an issue of risk management. 1990

A E Curran, and M Darby

University of Kentucky Community College System.

The potential for legal liabilities exists in all aspects of dental hygiene practice. Contemporary malpractice law demands the highest standards for oral healthcare. Formal educational credentials of dental hygiene practitioners contribute to the provision of quality healthcare, an environment that elicits societal trust, and the prevention of legal risks. The purpose of this paper is to explore an alternative to formal dental hygiene education--preceptorship training--as it relates to current theories and practices in risk management. Key issues explored include expectations and rights of society, responsibility of the professional and the profession to society, risk management in the practice setting, and how preceptorship and formal education compare, relative to these key issues. The paper also analyzes whether the preceptorship concept is counterproductive for society, the profession, and the employer; and explains how the malpractice crisis in America is challenging oral health providers to rise to higher levels of education and professional competence.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008318	Malpractice	Failure of a professional person, a physician or lawyer, to render proper services through reprehensible ignorance or negligence or through criminal intent, especially when injury or loss follows. (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)	Professional Negligence,Negligence,Negligence, Professional,Professional Negligences
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011231	Preceptorship	Practical experience in medical and health-related services that occurs as part of an educational program wherein the professionally-trained student works outside the academic environment under the SUPERVISION of an established professional in the particular field.	Clinical Mentoring,Clinical Supervision,Clinical Practicum,Field Study, Medical,Field Training, Medical,Field Work, Medical,Clinical Mentorings,Clinical Supervisions,Field Studies, Medical,Medical Field Studies,Medical Field Study,Medical Field Training,Medical Field Work,Mentoring, Clinical,Mentorings, Clinical,Practicum, Clinical,Practicums, Clinical,Studies, Medical Field,Study, Medical Field,Supervision, Clinical,Supervisions, Clinical,Training, Medical Field,Work, Medical Field
D011364	Professional Practice	The use of one's knowledge in a particular profession. It includes, in the case of the field of biomedicine, professional activities related to health care and the actual performance of the duties related to the provision of health care.	Practice, Professional,Practices, Professional,Professional Practices
D011787	Quality of Health Care	The levels of excellence which characterize the health service or health care provided based on accepted standards of quality.	Pharmacy Audit,Quality of Care,Quality of Healthcare,Audit, Pharmacy,Care Quality,Health Care Quality,Healthcare Quality,Pharmacy Audits
D003756	Dental Hygienists	Persons trained in an accredited school or dental college and licensed by the state in which they reside to provide dental prophylaxis under the direction of a licensed dentist.	Dental Hygienist,Hygienist, Dental,Hygienists, Dental
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D012308	Risk Management	The process of minimizing risk to an organization by developing systems to identify and analyze potential hazards to prevent accidents, injuries, and other adverse occurrences, and by attempting to handle events and incidents which do occur in such a manner that their effect and cost are minimized. Effective risk management has its greatest benefits in application to insurance in order to avert or minimize financial liability. (From Slee & Slee: Health care terms, 2d ed)	Hospital Incident Reporting,Incident Reporting, Hospital,Hospital Incident Reportings,Incident Reporting,Incident Reportings, Hospital,Management, Risks,Reporting, Hospital Incident,Reportings, Hospital Risk,Voluntary Patient Safety Event Reporting,Hospital Risk Reporting,Hospital Risk Reportings,Incident Reportings,Management, Risk,Reporting, Hospital Risk,Reporting, Incident,Reportings, Hospital Incident,Reportings, Incident,Risk Reporting, Hospital,Risk Reportings, Hospital,Risks Management