patient care – Beyond the Bite

By Amy Wasdin, RN, CPHRM, Patient Safety Risk Manager II, The Doctors Company

Lack of familiarity with hospital systems can pose serious risk management implications.

Patients present to an acute care facility for a variety of reasons, such as emergency care, admission for ongoing treatment, surgical procedures and specialized nursing care. Unfortunately, appropriate dental care often is overlooked or not identified as a priority at the beginning of a patient’s course of hospitalization.

Good dental care is an important component to maintain overall health and well-being. When unchecked and untreated, bacteria that forms on teeth often can lead to more serious health problems. Poor oral care has been known to contribute to cardiovascular disease and respiratory infections, as well as other serious health conditions.

Dentists and oral surgeons often are credentialed and included in a hospital’s medical staff roster to provide dental services to emergency department patients and inpatients when needed. Providing dental care for a hospitalized patient is uncommon, and dentists and oral surgeons are not routinely consulted to provide dental services.

Because of the infrequency of providing dental care in the hospital setting, many dentists are unfamiliar with hospital and medical staff requirements that apply to the providers who examine and treat inpatients. The lack of familiarity with hospital systems and medical staff rules can pose serious risk management implications for the dental care provider.

Risk Management Strategies

Be wary of “curbside consultations” in which informal collaboration may find its way into the medical record. Consulting dentists have been sued by patients that they neither met nor examined because of inaccurate documentation by other providers in the medical record. If you are asked for input on a specific patient situation, it may be best to request a formal consultation so that you can document your thoughts and opinions in your own words.
Communicate clearly with other providers on the expectations regarding your involvement in patient care. Once you become a part of the care team, the lines often get blurred among providers regarding who is responsible for each aspect of care. Key information often can get lost in the transitions of care that occur in a hospital among caregivers. Clarify your role in the record, and communicate with other providers when there is confusion or cause for concern.
Familiarize yourself with the medical record beforehand — ask for training. Electronic medical records (EMRs) present unique nuances and special challenges to a user who is unfamiliar with the system. There may be templates or designated sections for your documentation. The EMR may not be easily navigated, so it is helpful to take the time to learn the various sections that you will need to use. It can be a powerful tool for provider collaboration if you know where to look for information.
Understand your documentation requirements. How often are you required to document your care of the patient? When does your documentation need to be finalized and available in the medical record? What do you need to include in your consultation notes? This information should be provided at the time of your appointment to the medical staff.
Request updates and revisions to processes and systems. Hospitals regularly update and revise facility operations as well as clinical policies and processes. Make sure that you periodically request updated information regarding any facility or patient care-related changes. Notice of physical plant changes may prove extremely helpful to you when you need to locate your patient to provide dental services. Notice of process changes will help you fulfill your obligation as a medical staff member to follow current policies and procedures.
Have a go-to person to contact for assistance when needed. Despite taking appropriate steps to be prepared to care for your patient, there are always unexpected challenges that may occur. Get to know your medical staff department coordinator or the facility risk manager. They can prove to be great resources when you need quick access to information. Also, if you can’t find someone for assistance after regular hours, reach out to the hospital administrator on call who will connect you with someone who can assist you.

Donald Wood, CRNA, CPHRM, Patient Safety/Risk Manager, The Doctors Company

Multiple studies have shown that communication challenges can cause health care errors and complications. Dentists regularly provide care to patients who require a health care team with several medical specialties. In these circumstances, dental care provided to a patient requires effective communication among all team members and the patient.

Case Study
A patient presented to a dentist for a scheduled procedure. As the patient was being prepared for the procedure, the patient inquired about the use of an antibiotic. The patient explained that he had undergone joint replacement surgery, and his orthopedic surgeon had instructed the patient that an antibiotic should be provided prior to any dental work. The dentist explained to the patient that current guidelines don’t support the concept of administering antibiotics prior to a dental procedure and was reluctant to prescribe an antibiotic. The patient wanted to discuss the dentist’s explanation with his orthopedic surgeon. He cancelled the procedure and left without being treated.

When a patient’s medical history reveals a prior surgery, the need for collaboration between the dentist and any previous treating physician may warrant a discussion. In this case, an orthopedic surgeon performed the joint replacement. The 2013 clinical practice guideline published jointly by the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Dental Association (ADA), further clarified by the 2014 guideline from the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs, does not specify the need for antibiotic prophylaxis for patients with a prior joint replacement surgery. However, many variables should be considered. The guidelines report that a patient with a medical history of osteomyelitis, acquired immunodeficiency, or drugs or disease that suppress the immune system may require antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedures.

Effective collaboration, in this situation, includes notifying the orthopedic physician about the need for the dental procedure, the extensiveness of the procedure and inquiring about the need for pre-operative antibiotics based on the patient’s orthopedic history. This collaborative process should begin as soon as a need for a dental procedure is determined.

A similar situation may arise with patients on antithrombotic therapy. This therapy requires a collaborative approach with the physician prescribing the medication. Although the number of antithrombotic medications was relatively limited in the past, several new medications have been approved. These new medications are noteworthy in that for some, there is no testing for therapeutic effect and some have no antidote or reversal agent. To reduce the risk of excessive bleeding, it may be necessary for a patient who is undergoing antithrombotic therapy to temporarily cease taking the medication for several days. As a part of the communication process, the dentist and prescribing physician should determine when the patient can safely resume taking their medication. Documentation in the dental record should indicate the patient’s understanding of when to stop the antithrombotic medication and when to resume taking it. With effective communication among the dentist, treating physician and patient, the overall impact on the patient’s health can be minimized.

Risk Management Strategies
Clear, concise communication can be enhanced by implementing the Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation technique. This technique can help a dentist organize communication and present specific details while collaborating with a patient’s previous physician. The following is an example:

Situation: A 58-year-old patient with pain, cold sensitivity and advanced periodontal disease.
Background: History of total knee replacements in 2010 and 2015.
Assessment: Patient needs to have four teeth extracted, bone grafting and preparation for implants.
Recommendation: Assess the need and timing of any antibiotic therapy that may be necessary prior to this procedure. If indicated, provide the patient with a prescription for the antibiotic.

Track these requests in a log or other format to determine if a response was received prior to the procedure. Follow up to ensure that communication among the dentist, prior specialists and patient is successful.

References:
Jevsevar D, Abt E. The new AAOS-ADA clinical practice guideline on prevention of orthopaedic implant infection in patients undergoing dental procedures, J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2013; 21: 195-197. http://www.aaos.org/Research/guidelines/PUDP/dentaleditorial.pdf.

Sollecity T, Abt E, Lockhart P, et al. The use of prophylactic antibiotics prior to dental procedures in patients with prosthetic joints. J Am Dent Assoc. 2015; 146(1); 11-16 e8. http://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(14)00019-1/fulltext#sec3.

SBAR technique for communication: A situational briefing model. Institute for Health care Improvement website. http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/Tools/SBARTechniqueforCommunicationASituationalBriefingModel.aspx. Accessed February 16, 2017.

Tag: patient care

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