Dental Quality Improvement in an Integrated Health Care Setting: Pedal Faster

ABSTRACT

Background

Quality measurement is new to dentistry but will become part of dental care within a short period of time due to governmental and public pressure and medicolegal requirements.

Description

This article describes challenges and opportunities for a dental department to: (1) participate in overreaching organizational quality and safety efforts with non-dental colleagues, and (2) establish a discipline-specific continuous quality improvement program. The article will propose advancing both dental and general health care through measures specific to different institutions and their unique environments, such as hospitals and community-based clinics. Steps and strategies leading to success are suggested for beginning a meaningful program, engaging and educating dental staff, and moving the quality needle forward in dentistry.

KEYWORDS:

• Quality assurance
• hospital dentistry
• dental administration

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Paul S. Casamassimo

Dr. Paul S. Casamassimo is Professor Emeritus at the Ohio State University and past Department of Dentistry Chief and Medical Staff President at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH. He is past chair of the Dental Quality Alliance of the American Dental Association.