The Importance of Safety in Maxillofacial Offices
The work we provide for our patients is done with the intention that they can feel better about themselves and go forth living a happy and healthy life. None of that is possible without regimented guidelines and a strict focus on quality improvement and safety. Besides ensuring that the work we do is done precisely and accurately, the health and safety of all our patients are of our utmost concern. We as surgeons are not perfect, but what separates us from the rest is ensuring we have systems in place to reduce the risk of errors, and that we are continually learning.
Taking Oral Surgery Seriously
In our profession, we rely on daily conversations between our surgeons, nurses, surgical assistants, treatment coordinators and our patients to ensure we are all on the same page concerning practical safety methods.
In Maxillofacial operations, we stress the importance of each member’s role in the completion of the surgery. We ingrain the principle virtue that each member of our staff plays an integral role in performing an exceptional and safe procedure for each patient placing their full trust in our hands. Creating an environment where every member of our team can express their feelings about how we operate and areas where they feel we can improve is necessary. Too many times, members on a doctor’s staff feel they are not in the right position to report on issues they think should be addressed, so implementing a transparent reporting system where everyone’s voice is heard and accounted for is essential in our safety measures.
We require everyone on our staff to take accountability for the work they do. Nobody is more important than anyone else in our profession. Accountability for one’s actions is what makes a good operating room a great operating room; everyone is responsible for the work they do and the mistakes they make, and that only builds chemistry in our office. Each one of our team members understands the importance of proper safety and what they must do to go above and beyond their expectations.
Running A Conscientious Dental Practice
By implementing these practices into our everyday work life, we have significantly decreased the number of medical errors that are common in operating rooms across the world. We will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure a culture of continuous quality improvement. None of the guidelines we set out are feasible without cooperation from our patients. We encourage all our patients to speak up and voice either their comments, concerns or questions.
