Professionalism– Part 1 of 3
Maintaining professionalism around our patients
Achieving this aim at all times can sometimes be difficult when we have to do it on a daily basis. It is however, absolutely vital that we realise that it is our responsibility as Dental Care Professionals to ensure the highest quality of care and respect and to also make sure that the patients’ best interests are always prioritised above those of our own, our colleagues or even our employer.
We don’t need to look far for guidance on this matter, the General Dental Council (GDC) have set guidelines for us to follow in order to maintain professionalism. There are six principles in total- the first three are most relevant to patient-centred professionalism and they are:
- Putting patients’ interests first and acting to protect them.
A pretty obvious statement really, however it isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Sometimes, by following this principle, you may encounter negativity from your employer, colleagues or even patients themselves if they do not agree with you!
Examples of this principle are:
Having to stay late at work because you run behind with treatment. You can’t simply leave the surgery half-way through a RCT because you officially finish working at 5.30pm.
Choosing not to answer a question asked by a patient if you genuinely don’t know the answer. This would be misinforming them and that is much worse than being unable to help them at the moment at time, despite the patient wanting an answer there and then.
Putting aside feelings of guilt or disloyalty and choosing to report a colleague or employer if you feel they are guilty of misconduct.
- Respect patients’ dignity and choices
It goes without saying that we should treat patients politely and show them respect but we also need to be promoting their responsibility for making their own choices and decisions about the care and treatment that they receive. We cannot force patients to have certain treatments- all we can do is make sure they fully understand the reasons why treatment has been proposed, the benefits for having the treatment and also any possible risks that are involved. It is then up to the patient to make an informed decision as to whether they want to proceed or not.
Examples of this principle are:
Making sure the patient truly understands the treatment proposed and explaining any technical jargon that may be on the treatment plan so that when they get home and look at it, they know what it means. E.g: “Composite is a white-filling material, Mrs Jones”.
Asking the patient if they have any questions or need anything explaining again once you have left the surgery as the patient may have felt too uncomfortable or embarrassed to ask the Dentist.
- Protect the confidentiality of patients’ information
As we all know, patient confidentiality is so important and in the words of the GDC, “Confidentiality is central to the relationship of trust between you and your patient”. By law, if we are given information about a patient to help provide care for them, then this is strictly confidential. Situations such as chatting about patients casually at reception and leaving treatment plans visibly lying on the desk are breaching confidentiality rules and must not happen.
Examples of this principle are:
Only disclosing patient information if there is a real need, such as disclosing information to other health-care workers (with the permission of the patient)
Only disclosing information if it is in the public’s interest- e.g. you feel a crime is about to take place. Even then, you should seek advice first.
If you would like more information on patient-centred professionalism, you can visit the GDC website at www.gdc-uk.org.
Emma Lever-Pilling RDN.