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Can patients detect hazardous dental practice? A patient complaint study
Nora Hiivala1, Helena Mussalo-Rauhamaa, Heikki Murtomaa
1Oral Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance
|April 11, 2015
Summary
Patient complaints about dental care are valuable safety indicators, revealing hazards and risks. These complaints, particularly when numerous against certain dentists, correlate with disciplinary actions, highlighting their importance.
Area of Science:
- Dental Public Health
- Patient Safety Research
- Healthcare Quality Management
Background:
- Patient and family complaints serve as crucial feedback mechanisms in healthcare.
- Understanding the nature and impact of dentistry-related complaints is essential for improving patient safety.
- Regulatory bodies in Finland, such as Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVIs) and Valvira, handle these complaints.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and distribution of patient/family complaints concerning dentistry in Finland (2000-2011).
- To investigate patient/family safety incident experiences and reasons behind complaints.
- To assess complaint validity and identify factors linked to disciplinary actions against dentists.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 782 closed cases of complaints against dental practitioners or units handled by AVIs and Valvira from 2000 to 2011.
- Examination of complaint distribution, antecedent factors, and circumstances.
- Statistical correlation analysis between complaints, dentist variables, and disciplinary actions.
Main Results:
- Patients and families effectively identify dental treatment hazards, substandard processes, and safety risks.
- Over half of investigated complaints revealed physical harm or potential patient safety risks.
- A significant positive correlation exists between complaint volume, dentist-specific factors, and disciplinary outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Dentistry-related patient complaints are significant indicators of safety risks and should be taken seriously.
- Complaints offer valuable insights for patient safety studies, complementing other methodologies.
- Further research is needed on patient-provider cooperation to prevent errors in dental care.
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