ethics

Question 1

what is negligence

Answer 1

the omission to to do something which a reasonable practitioner would do; or, doing something which a reasonable practitioner would not do

Question 2

what are the causes of complaint

Answer 2

• screw ups, slips, mistakes
• deficiency in clinical standard
• unnecessary treatment
• confidentiality breach
• proper consent not obtained
• unprofessional manner
• inappropriate conduct

Question 3

what is gross negligence

Answer 3

negligence that is so bad it is criminal

Question 4

what is the treatment standard

Answer 4

• trainee and learner dentists are held to the same standard as more experienced colleagues
• otherwise, inexperience would be used as a defence a lot of the time

Question 5

how does a defence exist against a claim of negligence

Answer 5

if the dentist has acted in accordance with a practice accepted as proper by a responsible body of dental practitioners skilled in that particular art

Question 6

what are the 4 conditions required in terms of balance of probability of clinical negligence

Answer 6

1 - dentist owed a duty of care
2 - duty of care was breached (standard of care)
3 - that breach caused or materially contributed to damage (causation)
4 - damage was reasonable foreseeable and had negative consequences and effects

Question 7

what is balance of probability

Answer 7

how likely/unlikely it is that the dentist will cause fault

Question 8

what do claimants mainly want

Answer 8

an admission of fault from the practitioner

Question 9

what should a defendant not do

Answer 9

• be rude to patients and colleagues
• enter false details in records - these are thoroughly checked in the event of litigation
• change records to cover their tracks
• attempt to defend mistakes in response to a complaint - this is different from an apology

Question 10

how is harm negligent

Answer 10

harm is negligent if it results from dental treatment if the dentists practice fails to meet standard of ordinary care