Course Description:
Comprehensive and accurate record keeping is a pivotal part of the dental practice and necessary for delivering quality patient care. Managing ample records is fundamental for good clinical practice and is an essential skill for professionals. This course will focus on how to effectively document and maintain dental records. Also discuss how the record has transformed over time, and address legal matters surrounding the patients' records.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to:

* Describe the components of the dental record.
* Compare and contrast the differences between an electronic chart and a  traditional paper chart practice.
* Identify the owner of the dental record.
* Justify the importance of keeping original patient records.
* Differentiate between vital, useful and non-essential documents.
* Describe how to correct an incorrect chart entry.
* Define the use of office standardization for charting abbreviations.
* Discuss the advantage of comprehensive documentation versus incomplete treatment entries.
* Discuss patient communication via email.
* Describe the role of HIPAA as it relates to chart entries and penalties if violated.
* Identify the most common areas of potential liability dental professionals nationwide.
* Explain measures to avoid malpractice.

Method: Lecture