Would your progress notes hold up during a litigation case or state board hearing?
Getting a letter from the state dental board really, really sucks. The most stressful time of my dental career was when I was turned in by a disgruntled patient, claiming I had committed an act of malpractice. However, because I was thorough with my progress notes, the case was over in 10 minutes and dismissed without prejudice.
Take an inventory of your progress notes and ask yourself if they could stand on their own during a litigation case or a hearing in front of your state board. Those famous last words are always, “I won't sue you...”
And—for the love of all that is dental—if you don’t have an intraoral camera, please, please, please get one! More to come on that topic.
In this video and on the DentistryIQ.com Facebook page, we’ll be talking about how we can become better together. Join us!
Editor’s note: This video first appeared in Through the Loupes newsletter, a publication of the Endeavor Business Media Dental Group. Read more articles at this link and subscribe here.
Stacey L. Gividen, DDS, a graduate of Marquette University School of Dentistry, is in private practice in Hamilton, Montana. She is a guest lecturer at the University of Montana in the Anatomy and Physiology Department. Dr. Gividen is the editorial co-director of Through the Loupes and a contributing author for DentistryIQ, Perio-Implant Advisory, and Dental Economics. She serves on the Dental Economics editorial advisory board. You may contact her at [email protected].
