Complaints Management: Changing Attitudes and Behaviours

clinical standards of frequently sued dentists is different or same to those who do not get sued?

same

Many complaints will conclude how?

produce no evidence of negligence, although the patient perceives a shortfall in the care that they received

What is a complaint?

• Expression of dissatisfaction

• Spoken or written with a particular aspect of your dental practice

CQC care quality commission says about complaints? (7)

• People must understand how to make a complain about a service

• They should feel encouraged and feel confident to do so

• Complaint process is easy

• People given help and support when needed (modern phone/ computer access)

• involves all parties involved

• There is an opportunity to be involved in the response

• provider uses accessible information or support if they need to raise concerns

Complaints are effectively handled including? (5)

• Openness and transparency

• confidentiality - (records you don’t write they made a complaint - its another system)

• regular updates (Every 2 weeks)

• timely response (3 WD) and explanation of outcomes

• formal record

systems and process are important why?

protect people from discrimination, harassment or disadvantages

Complaints are logged why?

• Monitored to assess trends and shared with the wider team

• used to learn and drive continuous improvement

• help highlight were changes or improvements are needed

What are the GDC six core principles in responding to complaints? 

1-  All your feedback is important for us

2-  we want to make it easy for you to raise a concern or complain if you need to

3 -  we follow a complaints procedure and keep you informed

4 - we will try to answer all you questions and any concerns you raise

5- we want you to have a positive experience of making a complaint

6- your feedback helps us improve our services, set out a clear picture of what patients can expect when providing feedback or making a complaint

What is the complaints journey? (8)

• training

• identifying complaint

• accepting all complaint

• gathering views

• resolving dissatisfaction

• responding sympathetically

• following up

• learning from the complaint

step 1 in handling complaints?

• who usually make good complaints handlers?

• most of the dental team have no ?

• training in these skills  is found to be effective 

Training

Step 2 in handling complaints?

do majority of dissatisfied patients complain?

ways of identifying dissatisfaction? (4)

• Identifying complaints

• no, they leave and go elsewhere

• comment cards, surverys, identify body language, encourage patients to tell you

• A lot of it is running late - let the patient know so that they rebook or if they are happy to wait - place importance on the patients time!, check lab work the day before (ring the lab or change appointment of the patient with 24 hours notice)

Step 3 in handling complaints process?

the complaints handles will coordinate what? (3)

all complaints must be acknowledged how quickly? 

What must you avoid doing? (2)

a patient is more likely to react favourably if what?

Accepting complaints

• acceptance, investigation and response to complaint

• quickly

• overpromising and underdelivering

• they know that their complaint has been accepted and is being dealt with

important to be neutral

What is step 4?

what must you not do if the person has left the practice/clinic

obtaining the views of all the parties involved

ID everyone who is involved

• generate a response on their behalf

Step 5?

What do you not provide before investigating an gathering facts?

it is important to remember that any response to a complaint could be what?

why is a response following a full investigation better?

Investigate fully (complaint may not be the end point - they might want to take it further)

• Detailed response

• read out at a later hearing

• more thorough, accurate, fairer to all parties involved

only facts no opinions

Step 5

When a complaint is received, what are 3 possible outcomes for the clinician to make about the patient?

Resolving dissatisfaction

• retain the patient, agree to differ, resolve the patients’ dissatisfaction

compensation - money back on ‘poor’ service they received, apologies

Step 6:

What could you send to the patient after the complaint has been resolved?

a written response may include? (5)

Responding sympathetically

• Short letter

• Explanation/reassurance/apology/compromise/way forwards

Step 7?

why may a follow-up be useful?

• Follow up

• retain confidence of the patient - it can demonstrate care and consideration 

some don’t want to come back  

Offer another appointment, come back early so its before work for the pt/ money back/not see you again/ work into your lunch

Step 9

what are some question to ask for future risk management? 

Learning from the problem

• How it arose/steps to avoid/handling/did you achieve the desired outcome?

train selves to become better in the area of the complaint - reflective practice

reflecting on the complaint journey

• Try and see it from the patient’s perspective from the start

• Telling the patient what the process is - don’t want patient to have a complaint about the complaint process 

• patient and their family - you might come in on a Saturday when ordinarily you wouldn’t, to keep the patient if they really want something done before they leave on holiday

What are 5 things patients are looking for?

1- to be heard

2- an explanation

3- apology

4-appropriate remedial action

5- redress - financial compensation

explanation is more objective, stop trying to justify before you have looked into things as this involves more emotions/opinions

Why do some unhappy patients not complain? (4)

• more hassle than what its worth

• too time consuming

• don’t know where to go to make the complaint

• don’t think it will be taken seriously 

where else can people complain to apart from the clinical practice

clinical setting

escalate - parliamentary and health service ombudsman 

statements to avoid?

What type of questions should you be asking?

open questions

What is the learning point of this?

What is the learning point from this?

What is important about whitening?

Managing patient expectations - don’t promise - whitening may not occur to the extent they want they might not achieve the shade they want so you don’t pay for treatment you didn’t get what you wanted  cant tell how much lighter their teeth will get until you have done the treatment 

consultation and follow up consultation - better to meet their expectations if you tell them the expectations 

evidence about patients complaining 

qualities of dentists that don’t get any complaints