Institutional Best Practices - I

Title of the Practice: Patient centric care and cure – Conscious inclusivity

Objectives of the practice: 

  • Optimal health promotion amongst the population through implementation of dental and public health practices of the highest standard with passion to care for individuals and the community as a whole.
  • Integrated and comprehensive care, support and treatment keeping in mind physical, emotional and social well-being of the patient.
  • Higher rate of patient satisfaction and to empower patients to become more active participants in their own care.
  • Better outcomes with cost-effective care.

The context

  • The academic clinics are structured and operated according to the guidelines set by Dental Council Of India and The Maharashtra University Of Health Sciences, Nashik.
  • Appropriate signages are provided.
  • Treatment is available and accessible at nominal charges.
  • Educational and communication materials such as posters, pamphlets, 3D models, videos etc. are employed.
  • All the departments provide the patients with the educational pamphlets to increase awareness regarding various dental health issues and post-treatment care.
  • Free treatment to all needy patients and employees of Terna Trust.
    Attached medical facilities within the campus make it possible for comprehensive treatment.

The practice:

Terna Dental College uses its geographic location to its maximum advantage to serve the people in its vicinity.

  • State of the art facilities are provided in the Department of Regenerative Endodontics, Department of Aesthetic Dentistry Department of Implantology and Department of Periodontology.
  • On the first visit, the patient is always escorted by an intern to the respective department so that the subsequent visits are hassle-free.
  • Tobacco cessation counseling, educational pamphlets, posters, 3D models have been devised. A dedicated dental museum with educational 3D models and posters has been made accessible to all patients.
  • Corridors and patient waiting areas have educational material in English, Hindi and Marathi for ease of understanding.
  • Patient friendly infrastructure like wheelchair, ramps and elevators for patients is available.
  • Dental screening and treatment camps are done regularly at schools, colleges, rural areas, etc. A fully equipped mobile dental van is employed for patients in distant places and the less motivated patients.
  • In association with Indira Gandhi Rural Hospital, Uran, comprehensive treatment to patients staying in rural areas is provided.
  • Oral health awareness in public is created by means of street plays.
  • Finally, in view of the current pandemic situation, triaging is carried out as soon as the patient reports for his treatment.

 

Evidence of success:

There is an increased inflow of patients owing to the success of dental health camps. The patients showed better acceptance of the suggested treatment after using informational and educational material. Numerous patients have benefitted from availing services like tobacco cessation counseling.

Problems encountered and resources required:

  • Patient’s attitude and education was one of the major challenges encountered for which motivational materials like pamphlets and posters were used.
  • Language barrier with patients coming from rural areas.
  • Maintenance of expensive equipment.
  • Owing to COVID-19, conduction of camps and outreach programs has been affected for which IT resources have come in handy.
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Institutional Best Practices - II

Title of the Practice: Establishment of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for all clinical and practical exercises for students.

Objectives of the Practice

The establishment of specific Standard Operating Procedures for various clinical and practical exercises for students, ensuring universality and predictability in treatment provisions and subsequent expected outcomes. It provides a harmonized organizational framework for the students and aids them to carry out routine operations efficiently. Its main objective is to standardize, simplify and maximize technique output and uniformity of performance, whilst reducing miscommunication and failure to comply. In totality, it reduces the reliance on one person to know how to complete a task, or a set of related tasks.

The Context

Several unaddressed redressals and a multi-modal approach towards problem solving in the clinical atmosphere prompted the institute to stress upon the need for a standard reference denominator to be followed in the clinical and practical teaching domains.  The purpose of this SOP is to provide detailed instructions on how to carry out clinical and practical exercises so that students can carry out the task correctly every time. The context envisages OPD, routine and emergency procedures to help put appropriate techniques into place. It also ensures enhancing of self-learning and self-directed problem-solving abilities.

The Practice 

Every department has a standard operating protocol documented for problem solving of OPD, history recording, clinical procedures and practical exercises. Minor as well as major procedural steps are made universally available to all students of the respective departments. The purpose of this SOP is to provide exhaustive instructions in simple, clear language on how to carry out clinical and practical exercises. Every single clinical and practical exercise is described in a systematic manner. 

These SOPs are in a printed form and made available to all students. 

Evidence of Success

Establishment of detailed SOPs have helped the staff and students alike in the routine working environment. They are the direct beneficiaries of such practices and ultimately the positive effect is reflected on the patient treatment. There is more precision seen in the student practical / pre-clinical / clinical work. With the aid of the SOPs, in-depth understanding of the subject and implementing the same in practical / clinical practices has shown a tremendous improvement over the years. 

Problems encountered and Resources required

  • Noncompliance with the SOPs.
  • Lack of proper maintenance of SOPs. 
  • Lack of extensive SOP training 
  • Lack of interpretation leading to ambiguity, deviation in implementation causing delay in work carried out.
  • SOPs which do not comply with simple and clear language 
  • Due to varied training backgrounds of the staff, a gap exists in the interpretation and implementation of the SOPs. This was overcome by the practice of arriving at a common consensus in drafting the SOP.
  • All the SOPs are suitably displayed staff and students can benefit from the same. 
  • We have proposed to modify and update these SOPs from time-to time.