Charter of Patient Rights

Introduction

Within Australia, the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights (ACHR) applies to the entire healthcare system, and it allows healthcare consumers and healthcare providers to have a common understanding of the rights of people receiving health care. The rights included in the ACHR relate to access, safety, respect, partnership, information, privacy and feedback.

Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implant’s Healthcare Rights Policy

The following practice-specific charter of healthcare rights has been developed at Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implants and is consistent with the current edition of the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights.

 

Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implant’s Charter of Healthcare Rights

Appointments

At Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implants we aim to provide patients with appointments to meet their treatment needs. It is requested patients make an agreed appointment time and date to assist the scheduling process, notifying the practice where this appointment cannot be met. To assist you in providing us with this information we contact patients by:

• Telephone call reminder.
• SMS reminder.

The cancellation policy of Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implants requires 24 hours’ notice for cancellation of an appointment. Should the patient cancel without the required notice period, a cancellation fee will be charged after 2 or more consecutive short notice cancellations or failure to attend appointments.

In the event we are unable to accommodate a patient’s request for an appointment at a specific time/date, consultation with the treating dental practitioner will be sought.

 

Safety

All patients are required to complete a full medical and medication history as accurately and completely as possible, to allow dental practitioners and staff to identify any circumstances that may increase the risks associated with dental care.

In the unlikely occurrence of an adverse event, dental practitioners at Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implants have a responsibility to be open and honest in communications with the patient involved, and families or carers if applicable.

It is the responsibility of the registered dental practitioner, in accordance with the Dental Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct for Registered Health Practitioners, to explain to the patient what happened and why, as well as offering support and advice with regard to how the situation can best be resolved or managed.

 

Open Disclosure

Upon recognising the occurrence of an adverse event, the dental practitioner will follow our Open Disclosure Process, which aligns with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare’s Open Disclosure Framework, as outlined below:

• Act immediately to rectify the problem, if possible, including seeking any necessary help and advice.
• Provide the patient with a factual explanation of what happened, including the anticipated short-term and long-term consequences.
• Offer an apology or expression of regret, which should include the words ‘I am sorry’. Acknowledge any patient distress and provide appropriate support.
• Develop a future management plan for the patient explaining the steps being taken to manage the adverse event and prevent recurrence.
• Ensure that the patient has access to the practice charter of healthcare rights, which includes information about the process for making a complaint.

Sufficient detail is to be recorded in patient healthcare records to reflect the information provided to the patient about the incident, associated risks and likely consequences. The dental practitioner will notify the occurrence of the adverse event to their professional indemnity insurer, consistent with the clauses of their policy.

 

Respect

Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implants supports patients to access health care, including patients from diverse backgrounds and patients with disability. We value all patients as individuals and provide dental treatment in a culturally safe environment that is respectful of cultural beliefs, values, personal characteristics and practices of all patients including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Patients are asked to reciprocate this respect by being mindful of all dental practitioners, staff and other healthcare consumers.

 

Communication and decision making

We respect the patient’s right to receive adequate information to make informed decisions regarding their health care and need for ongoing health care. Consequently, all dental practitioners and staff are supported to continually demonstrate a commitment to providing patients with accessible and understandable information about their treatment and treatment options including costs, proposed medications and risks involved. We expect patients to actively participate in decisions and choices about their treatment and dental needs, involving family or carers as a substitute decision maker where incapacity of patient to make decisions about their own healthcare is identified.

This should also include maintaining suitable evidence that patients and/or their substitute decision makers are fully informed about their proposed treatment and have been a partner in the development of their treatment plan. Such evidence will be monitored through the practice’s healthcare records monitoring and review processes.

 

Informed Consent Process

The initial examination of a patient shall be considered ‘implied consent’ to that procedure based on the booking of an appointment, attendance and the patient allowing the physical examination to occur. Any subsequent treatment shall require the patient to make an informed decision and consent to the treatment, either verbally or in writing, depending on the procedure and associated risks.

The dental practitioner who is to perform the treatment is responsible for the following informed consent process in line with the Dental Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct for Registered Health Practitioners and best practice.

A patient will be:

• Informed (or receive information in some other way) what procedure is being proposed.
• Informed (or receive information in some other way) about the possible risks and benefits of the treatment in a form or manner they can understand.
• Informed of the risks and benefits of all options.
• Afforded the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers that meet with their satisfaction.
• Afforded sufficient time (if needed) to discuss the plan with their family, carer or advisor, especially for complex treatment plans.
• Fully informed of and comprehending the cost of treatment.
• Able to use the information provided to help them make a decision they believe is in their best interest, in the absence of any coercion from the dental practitioner.
• Afforded the opportunity to communicate their decision to the dental practitioner either verbally or in writing.

Dental practitioners are required to provide relevant documentation to the patient about the proposed treatment. The practice also requires dental practitioners to use their clinical judgement to determine where written consent is required from the patient and/or carer.

Dental practitioners shall consider guardianship arrangements for consent matters when dealing with vulnerable patients.

Sufficient detail is to be recorded in patient healthcare records to reflect the information provided to the patient associated with their treatment options and the treatment plan which is ultimately agreed upon.

 

Informed consent documentation

All informed consent documentation used is reviewed on a 12-monthly basis or as required. Any updates to these documents are designed to improve patient understanding and the quality of care provided. Dentists and staff are made aware when an informed consent document has been updated and are encouraged to give feedback for changes.

 

Privacy and Confidentiality

In accordance with the Privacy Act 1988, Australian Privacy Principles, the Dental Board of Australia’s Code of Conduct for Registered Health Practitioners, the Spam Act 2003 and various State and Territory legislation in Victoria, a patient can expect their personal health and other information will be collected, used, disclosed and stored in accordance with relevant laws and regulations about privacy and security, and this information will remain confidential unless the law allows disclosure or the patient directs us to release the information.

The Privacy Policy of Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implants consists of the following:

• All information collected from the patient will be used for the purpose of providing treatment. Personal information such as name, address and health insurance details will be used for the purpose of addressing accounts to the patient, as well as processing payments and writing to the patient about any issues affecting their treatment.
• We may disclose a patient’s health information to other health care professionals, or require it from them if, in our judgement, it is necessary in the context of the patient’s treatment. In this event, disclosure of personal details will be minimised wherever possible.
• We may also use parts of a patient’s health information for research purposes, in study groups or at seminars, as this may provide benefit to other patients. Should that happen, a patient’s personal identity would not be disclosed without their consent to do so.
• Patient history, healthcare records, x-rays and any other material relevant to treatment will be kept and remain in a secure environment.

Under the Privacy law, patients have rights of access to dental information held about them by this practice. We welcome a patient to inspect or request copies of their healthcare records at any time or seek an explanation from the dentist. The following procedure has been developed to ensure that all requests for access are dealt with as efficiently as possible:

• All requests for access should be made in writing using (where available) a Request for Release of Dental Healthcare Records Form.
• Requests for access will be acknowledged by the practice within 2-3 days of the receipt of the request.
• Where it is not possible for access to be granted within 30 days, the patient will be notified/advised when and if access will be granted.
• Where access is refused, the patient will be advised in writing of the reasons for refusal. This will include any information about other means by which access may be facilitated.

A patient will not be permitted to remove any of the contents of their dental file from the practice, nor will they be permitted to alter or erase information contained in the dental healthcare record. However, if any of the information we have about a patient is inaccurate, the patient is encouraged to ask us, in writing, to alter their healthcare records accordingly.

Generally, healthcare records will be transferred by the practice (on behalf of consenting patients) from one treating practitioner to another. In limited circumstances patients will be required to collect their healthcare records in person or may request in writing that healthcare records are provided to another authorised person.

If a patient, or authorised person, is collecting a copy of dental healthcare records, they may be required to provide identification. Where possible this should be photographic identification.

 

Feedback and complaints management

A patient’s evaluation of the care received at our practice is an extremely important form of feedback that provides valuable information about the services we provide. We encourage patients to provide either verbal or written feedback, both positive and negative. The complaints process is included in our Charter of Healthcare Rights.

All dental practitioners and staff will be provided with training and support that will assist them to identify, report and appropriately respond to complaints and other negative feedback. At Norlane Dental Aestheics & Implants we classify negative feedback into three categories:

• Enquiries: low level matters where an explanation or clarification of circumstances satisfies or resolves the patient’s concerns. No further risk or future action against the dental practitioner or practice is indicated.
• Notification: a complication or incident that has not caused the patient to make any complaint or claim but has the potential to become a complaint or claim in the future. The dental practitioner involved will consult their professional association in these matters for guidance on handling the incident and whether notification to the professional indemnity insurer is required. The dental practitioner’s management of such complications or incident will be compatible with the practice’s open disclosure process.
• Complaint or Claim: matters in which a patient, or person on behalf of the patient, has made a verbal or written complaint to the practitioner or to a statutory or legal body, regarding some element of treatment that has been provided by the dental practitioner to the patient. The dental practitioner involved will consult their professional association and their professional indemnity insurer prior to responding to the matter.

 

In the event of a patient complaint, all dental practitioners and staff at Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implants should use the following complaint handling policy:

• Provide an open environment for a patient to communicate concerns or report incidents with us directly, whilst respecting the patient’s right to have a concern heard by an independent third party such as the Dental Board of Australia.
• Resolve the complaint at the lowest level possible.
• A patient will be required to place serious complaints or requests for refunds in writing.
• Notification to and advice sought from professional associations and professional indemnity insurers is encouraged.

 

Complaint Handling Process

Complaints will be acknowledged within 24 hours of receiving, either verbally or in writing, in respect to the seriousness of the complaint. We aim to respond to all complaints within 5-7 days. All complaints will be recorded in the Compliments & Complaints Register.

All complaints will be reported and reviewed by the Principal Dentist and Practice Manager of the practice. Responsibility for the management of practitioner-related complaints will lie with the Principal Dentist, Practice Manager and dentist about whom the complaint is related. The Practice Manager and dentist will respond to the complaint upon receipt of advice from their professional association and/or their insurer.

 

Complaints Review Process

At Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implants we are committed to continuous improvement in safety and quality. The Principal Dentist and Practice Manager will analyse data/feedback from the Compliments & Complaints Register and take action where required. Any review actions/outcomes will be communicated to dental practitioners, staff and patients who have reported concerns or incidents, in a timely manner, where appropriate.

 

Notifying healthcare consumers about their healthcare rights

At Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implants we will always endeavour to advise healthcare consumers about their healthcare rights and the way our practice operates. Part of the process of providing this information to healthcare consumers is providing access to our practice Charter of Healthcare Rights. All dental practitioners and staff at Norlane Dental Aesthetics & Implants are supported to apply the principles of the Charter of Healthcare Rights in the planning and delivery of health care and will assist healthcare consumers to understand their healthcare rights and the way our practice operates. It is the responsibility of dental practitioners and staff to proactively identify those healthcare consumers who may be ‘at risk’ of not understanding their healthcare rights and consult the dental practitioner if further guidance is needed.

Our Charter of Healthcare Rights is made available to healthcare consumers in the following ways:

• Poster/signage displayed within the practice.
• Available on our website.
• On request by patients