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 Table of Contents  
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year : 2020  |  Volume : 5  |  Issue : 2  |  Page : 31-32

Concept of health-care quality for the general dental practitioner: An introduction


International Medical Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Date of Submission12-Jan-2020
Date of Acceptance28-Sep-2020
Date of Web Publication29-Nov-2021

Correspondence Address:
Dr. Dhivya Kamalkanthan
International Medical Center, Jeddah
Saudi Arabia
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Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/ijosr.ijosr_1_20

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  Abstract 


Aim: To incorporate and implement the concept of health-care quality in every dental office, through measures of dental quality work. This study is a self-assessment study using a [Pie Chart 1]. It explains a dentist to assess themselves under certain important aspects of dental office management like finance, dental work, business process, customers and learning and growth to keep them in track with current-day quality practise. This helps the dentist to establish a world-class quality practise without compromising in any aspect. In present-day scenario, increase in the number of dental clinics, dental awareness, the variation in the number of patients seeking dental treatment, particularly in cities brings up new challenges to the dentist to balance quality, ethics, and evidence into their practice without any compromise in the above aspects to ensure best quality care for their patients to improve their quality of life. This article gives an overview for the busy dental practitioner to incorporate quality improvement measures into dental practice.

Keywords: Dental practice, healthcare, quality


How to cite this article:
Kamalkanthan D, Kanthan R K. Concept of health-care quality for the general dental practitioner: An introduction. Int J Soc Rehabil 2020;5:31-2

How to cite this URL:
Kamalkanthan D, Kanthan R K. Concept of health-care quality for the general dental practitioner: An introduction. Int J Soc Rehabil [serial online] 2020 [cited 2024 Mar 29];5:31-2. Available from: https://www.ijsocialrehab.com/text.asp?2020/5/2/31/331468


  Introduction Top


Quality is conformance to requirements or specification, as defined by Philip Crosby.

Quality came into existence after World War II. Initially, it was not in the field of medicine, but later introduced into the medical field because of its emerging importance.

“Universal nature of quality is the fulfilment of the needs and expectations of the customer in accordance to ethics.”

Quality in dentistry is mandatory since it has its own advantage of satisfying customers without compromise; internally and externally, for defect-free product and service, since dentistry is an art and science hand in hand.


  Quality Measures to be considered in Dentistry: Top


  • Finance


Input/Investment

Output/outcome/Returns

  • Dental work
  • Business process
  • Customers
  • Learning and growth.


There is a common thinking about quality dental practise, which only includes performing a good/ethical dental work on chair, but it is not right.

Its all about “Doing the right clinical work, with right financial input (investment) that in turn gives back right output (outcome), through the help of the right business process and with the right amount of learning and growth to get updated with the current knowledge.

I use a balance scorecard to assess the outcome.

Basically, balance scorecard is a strategic performance management tool – a semi-standard structured report, supported by the design method, by managers/to keep track of the execution of activities by the staff within their control and to monitor the consequences arising from these actions.[1]


  Balance Score Card Top


It is a mix of financial and nonfinancial items.[2] They are as follows,

  • Customers: Patient satisfaction in, charges-Insurance/cash paid, early appointment to the dentist, less waiting time, painless/trouble less treatment, less postoperative discomfort
  • Dental work: Includes ethical treatment, with proper preoperative assessment, with correct procedure with sterilized instruments and proper postoperative care with good instructions for home care
  • Business process: Good marketing for the dental office
  • Learning and growth: Keeping updated with current knowledge and well informed about the latest materials and instruments[3]
  • Financial:


    1. Input/Investment-Adequate amount of money invested for proper dental office management
    2. Output/outcome/Returns-Adequate returns gained for the successful maintenance of the dental office.


Assessing the overall performance of a dental office with this chart helps the clinician in an easy understanding of the processes.


  Conclusion Top


A balance of all these processes gives a quality dental practise. Just by doing a [Pie Chart 1] for their dental clinic gives a clear picture to understand where they stand now and areas to be concentrated. In simple, it is a performance improvement tool for every dental practitioner to assess their practise for every 3 months to get introduced in to the field of quality dental practise.



Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

 
  References Top

1.
Alan Butler, Steve R. Letza, Bill Neale. Linking the balanced scorecard to strategy. Long Range Planning 1997;30:242-53.  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.
Kaplan R, Norton D. Strategic learning & the balanced scorecard. Strategy Leadership 1996;24:18-24.  Back to cited text no. 2
    
3.
Chen S, Yang C, Shiau J. The application of balanced scorecard in the performance evaluation of higher education. The TQM Magazine 2006;18:190-205.  Back to cited text no. 3
    




 

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  In this article
Abstract
Introduction
Quality Measures...
Balance Score Card
Conclusion
References

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