Module: Communication

Faculty Teaching Guide for Dental Office Management

Module - Communication

Faculty Teaching Guide for Dental Office Management

Module: Communication

Review of Module

Review topics from the previous module to confirm understanding prior to presenting new material.

Module Overview

The dental office manager has a wide communication constituency. He or she must convey concepts and information to the members of the dental team as well as to patients and potential patients. This module introduces learners to communication and marketing skills necessary for running a successful dental practice.

The Big Picture

Resources

This module utilizes the following learner resources:

Textbook: Dental Office Management, by Ellen Dietz. Delmar Learning, 1999. ISBN 0-7668-0731-2.

Faculty CD-ROM: The faculty CD-ROM includes this Faculty Guide and the PowerPoint Presentation for Dental Office Management.

The Internet: It is strongly recommended that faculty and learners alike have a working knowledge of the Internet.

Note to Instructor:

To make the best use of this module, it is recommended that the instructor make the following preparations:

  • Inform learners that they are to read Chapter ____, pgs. ____ in the textbook in preparation for the first class of the module.
  • The instructor will provide case histories for all activities that call for them.
  • The instructor may also write case histories based on real-life management situations arising in the dental office. However, instructors should be careful not to include identifying information including names and locations.
  • In any simulations that occur in this course, the instructor will take the following steps: (1) Introduce the theory or concept; (2) Conduct a simulation; (3) Ask learners to evaluate what they have learned about the theory or concept through simulation; (4) Apply the principles learned to actual dental office case histories; (5) Compare learners’ action on the case histories to the actual outcomes; and (6) Have learners critique the simulation/case history experience as a learning tool.
  • Poll area dental practices in preparation for class to help focus your material
  • The instructor will obtain at least three Material Safety Data Sheets for the most common chemical products used in the dental office and make copies of these to distribute to learners.
  • The instructor will obtain a copy of OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Final Standard.

Section 1: Communicating within the Dental Practice

Section Overview

Public concern about the dangers of infection and the movement to protect employees from hazardous exposure on the job have moved local, state, and federal governments to legislate regulations that directly impact the dental office manager. The dental office manager serves as a conduit through which outside government organizations and professional associations reach the members of the dental team.

Outline of Section 1

Part A: Working with Outside Agencies

Part B: Communicating with the Dental Team

Learning Objectives and Competencies

These learning activities directly address the Learning Objectives and Competencies as stated.

Knowledge

  1. Define the key terms.
  2. List hazards and hazard reducers.
  3. Enumerate the essentials of safety training.

Comprehension

  1. Describe the manager’s safety-recordkeeping duties and how they relate to HIPAA requirements.
  2. Distinguish among outside agency roles.
  3. Comprehend use of the MSDS when using a new product.

Application

  1. Employ knowledge of the BP Final Rule.
  2. Dramatize and report on a hazard incident.
  3. Apply knowledge of practice compliance.

Analysis

  1. Compare exposure control plans.

Synthesis and Evaluation

  1. Develop a safety compliance plan for a fictional dental office.

Learning Activities

These learning activities directly address the Learning Objectives and Competencies as stated.

[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Skills Mastery Assessment (Parts A-B, All Objectives)

[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Your State Here (Part A, Objective 5)

[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Outside Agency Board Game (Part A, Objective 5)

[Insert Homework Assignments icon] Textbook Assignment (Parts A-B, All Objectives)

[Insert Homework Assignments icon] Researching PPEs (Part A, All Objectives)

[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Drafting the Exposure-Control Plan (Part B, Objectives 3 and 10)

[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Safety First (Part B, Objectives 3 and 10)

[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Simulated Safety Training (Part B, Objectives 2-4, 7, and 9)

[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Speaking of Safety (Part B, All Objectives)

[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Exposure Incident (Part B, Objective 8)

[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Bringing a Practice Back into Safety Compliance (Part B, Objectives 9 and 11)

[Insert Homework Assignments icon] Designing Managers (Part B, Objectives 14, 18, and 22)

Part A: Working with Outside Agencies

Overview

Outside agencies may look like alphabet soup at first glance. However, the smart dental office manager realizes that OSHA, EPA, CDC, FDA, and HHS all contribute to effective management of safety risks or privacy issues within the dental practice. The smart office manager also knows that OSHA means business and that regulations must be followed and properly documented. Non-governmental organizations such as OSAP also provide information helpful to maintaining the safety of dental team members. Consideration must also be given to HIPAA regulations as it relates to the dental patients and their privacy.

Initial Questions and Activities

  1. What do you think the differences might be between the guidelines of a government regulatory agency and those of a professional association?

Ask learners to use what they have learned in previous classes about regulation and licensure to answer this question. What do they know from exposure to professional associations?

  1. How many government agencies would you guess regulate the dental office?

Answers will vary. Urge learners to brainstorm what they know from previous classes, work experience, and general knowledge to come up with a possible list of agencies. Follow up this question by reviewing the list of government agencies provided in Chapter ____ pp. ____ of the textbook.

Key Concepts / References and Activities / Slides
Introduction to Module / Slides 1-2
Introduction to Section / Slides 3-4
Key Terms / Chapter ____, p. ____ / Slide 5
Introduction to Outside Regulatory and Advisory Organizations Addressing Hazard Control in the Dental Office / Chapter ____, pp. ____
[Insert InClass Activity icon] Skills Mastery Assessment
[Insert InClass Activity icon] Your State Here
[Insert InClass Activity icon] Outside Agency Board Game
[Insert Home Ass icon] Textbook Assignment
[Insert Home Ass icon] Reseraching PPEs / Slides 6-8

[ ] Group Activities [ ] Homework [ ] Individual Activity [ ] Internet Activity [ ] In-Class Discussion [ ] In-Class Act [ ] Evaluation

[Insert In-Class Act icon]In-Class Activities

Skills Mastery Assessment (Parts A-B, In-Class Activity, All Objectives). Goal. To remind learners how much they already know and to set the stage for further learning. Ask learners to take the Skills Mastery Assessment in Chapter ____ of the textbook at the beginning of class. Reassure them that this is an ungraded activity and that, in fact, only they will know their score. They are to compare their answers to the answer key located at the back of the textbook. They are then to re-take the assessment at the conclusion of the section to check their progress.

Your State Here (Part A, In-Class Activity, Objective 5). Goal: To connect learners with their state’s particular regulatory position on dental office safety. Learners are to locate and browse their state’s dental regulatory office website. (If the learner’s state does not have a website, learners will call the office for the information either during class or as homework.) Learners are to search for information about hazard and safety regulations in the dental office. Learners may wish to research the regulatory environment of a neighboring state and compare this to their state. Learners are to record this information and give it to the instructor on paper or via e-mail.

Outside Agency Board Game (Part A, In-Class Activity, Objective 5). Goal. To reinforce learners’ awareness of the purpose of each agency and how they relate to one another in reference to the dental office. The instructor will compose questions about the purview of local, state, and federal government agencies regulating the dental office and write these on index cards. The instructor will set up the classroom using chairs as board spaces. Each chair will have wild-card instructions taped under the seat for the player who lands in it. Learners will roll the dice and proceed to that chair. The instructor will randomly choose an index card and ask the learner the question. The learner must answer it correctly to stay in the game. However, learners’ progress toward the winning chair can be either impeded or assisted depending on the chair’s wild-card instructions (e.g. Move two spaces ahead or Return to Start).

[Insert In-Class Dis Ques icon]In-Class Discussion

  1. What is the focus of OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard and what elements must be included in an effective written compliance response to this standard?

The Hazard Communication Standard focuses on the right of every employee to know the dangers associated with harzards and hazardous materials in the workplace. The law requires corrective action on the part of the employer. A written compliance program in the dental office would include an exposure-control plan (including the Bloodborne Pathogens Final Standard, a written hazard communication program, waste and sharps handling and management, and injury and illness prevention. Hazardous chemicals in the office must be properly labeled and have Material Safety Data Sheets available to the staff. The dentist or dental employer must designate a safety program coordinator to make sure that the plan is enforced and updated.

  1. How have current HIPAA regulation changed how dental practices function?

Changes in how schedule is displayed, how electronic transactions must occur, and management of patient records are examples. Brainstorm with learners to discuss the other various areas affected in the dental office.

[Insert Home Ass icon] Homework Assignments

Textbook Assignment. Read pgs. ____ in the textbook.

Researching PPEs. Learners are to conduct an online search for companies that make personal protective equipment (PPE). They are to gather information about each company’s line including, but not limited to, design, special safety factors, cost, comfort, allergy alternatives, maintenance and laundering considerations, and expected use life. Learners are to cite the web addresses of three of the best sites and bring this information to class for group discussion.

Presentation Tools

Note: If you change Objectives or Assignments, don’t forget to change the slides accordingly.

Slide 1 / [Insert DOM 2-1]
DOM – Stands for Dental Office Management. The 1st number “2” indicates the Module called Communication. The 2nd number indicates the slide number. / Power Point Presentation for
Module: Communication
Introduce the module.
Start by asking learners what they expect from this module.
Slide 2 / [Insert DOM 2-2] / Module: Communication (cont.)
Introduce the sections and each part.
Slide 3 / [Insert DOM 2-3] / Section 1: Communicating within the Dental Practice
Discuss each objective in detail. Learners need to know what they will be learning and why. Try to relate it back to their careers in the health care field.
Slide 4 / [Insert DOM 2-4] / Section 1: Communicating within the Dental Practice (cont.)
Continue to discuss each objective in detail.
Slide 5 / [Insert DOM 2-5] / Key Terms
Review each key term and discuss.
In-Class Activity: Stop here for the Skills Mastery Assessment activity.
Slide 6 / [Insert DOM 2-6] / Part A: Working with Outside Agencies
Make sure learners are clear about the differences between government regulation and association recommendation.
Explain the office manager’s role in mediating the requirements of government agencies and communicating these effectively to the dental team.
Point out the three levels of government regulation: local, state, and federal.
Discuss the newest regulations currently in force and the impact that HIV/AIDs has had on government involvement in the regulation of the dental office.
Delineate the hazards that government regulators are most concerned with.
Point out that hazard management involves the well-being of the dental team as well as patients.
Make clear the role that association groups, particularly OSAP, play in developing industry standards and communicating standards and information to assist in managing infection control programs.
Explain the purpose of both national headquarters and local chapters of professional organizations.
In-Class Activity: Stop here for the Your State Here activity.
Slide 7 / [Insert DOM 2-7] / Federal Regulatory Agencies
Discuss the relationship of the CDC, EPA, and FDA in relation to OSHA.
Explain that OSHA is the government organization with that most direct federal government connection regulating the dental office.
Review OSHA’s mandate to protect the health of the dental office employee.
Review OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Final Standard and explain what this means to the dental office manager and employees.
Discuss the federal organization HHS and the mandated requirements enacted through the HIPAA regulations established in 2003.
Review the types of forms that are required by an office to inform the patient of HIPAA privacy standards.
Explain how HIPAA has affected how dental offices function.
In-Class Activity: Stop here for the Outside Agency Board Game activity
Slide 8 / [Insert DOM 2-8] / Professional Dental Organizations
Repeat the distinction between government regulation and the role that professional dental organizations play in exposure and infection control within the dental office.
Introduce the mission and purpose of each of these professional associations and what membership in these organizations means for the dental office manager.
Homework Assignment: Stop here to assign and discuss the homework.

Part B: Communicating within the Dental Team

Overview

The dental office manager is the one usually charged with administrating a practice’s hazard communication program. In this capacity, the dental manager must convey to the staff how to protect themselves from toxic exposure and infectious agents. This means developing a training program, training all new employees and updating the training of established employees. Learners will learn that hazard communication is an ongoing process that must be thoroughly documented.

Initial Questions and Activities

  1. Have you ever participated in a medically related safety program? In any type of safety program?

Encourage learners to relate previous experiences they have had in safety training of any kind. Did they learn enough to protect themselves and others? What improvements would they like to have seen in the safety training they’ve received.

  1. What would you expect to learn from a safety supervisor? What would type of presentation would cause you to take the information seriously, remember it, and use it when needed?

Ask learners what impresses them most in training presentations and which approaches are the most effective. Answers will vary. Encourage learners to discuss their different perceptions. What causes each of them to pay attention and remember safety information? How well have they remembered and carried out safety training when a hazardous event has occurred?

Key Concepts / References and Activities / Slides
Communicating Hazard Control to Members of the Dental Office Team / Chapter ____, pp. ____
[Insert InClass Activity icon] Skills Mastery Assessment
[Insert Group Activity icon] Drafting the Exposure Control Plan
[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Safety First
[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Simulate Safety Training
[Insert In-Class Activity icon] Speaking of Safety
[Insert Group Activity icon] Exposure Incident
[Insert Group Activity icon] Bringing a Practice Back into Safety Compliance
[Insert Homework Ass icon] Textbook Assignment
[Insert Homework Ass icon] Designing Managers / Slides 9-13

[ ] Group Activities [ ] Homework [ ] Individual Activity [ ] Internet Activity [ ] In-Class Discussion [ ] In-Class Act [ ] Evaluation

[Insert In-Class Act icon] In-Class Activities

Skills Mastery Assessment (Parts A-B, In-Class Activity, All Objectives). Goal. To show learners how much they already know and to set the stage for further learning. Ask learners to retake the Skills Mastery Assessment in Chapter ____ of the textbook at the beginning of class. They are then to compare their answers to the answer key located at the back of the textbook. Have learners assess their progress of learning the material from their answers given in this activity in Part A of this section.

Drafting the Exposure-Control Plan (Part B, In-Class Activity, Objectives 3 and 10). Goal: To have learners begin to put their knowledge of safety management to use. Break learners into groups. Each group will use the information in both textbooks to draft an exposure control plan for the typical dental office using information they have learned in class to date and in previous classes. They may use any resource they wish including on-line resources. At completion of the draft, learners are to re-group and share what they have developed. They are to keep this exercise for use in a later activity.

Safety First(Part B, In-Class Activity, Objectives 3 and 10). Goal: To learn more about safety programs as they exist in local dental offices. The instructor is to obtain hazard communication and exposure-control plans from a sampling of large and small dental offices in the area. Learners are to contrast and compare the safety plans and compare them to the information about hazard control in both textbooks and to the exposure-control plan drafts that they have already written.