Professional Development Introduction
Continuing Professional Development
Introduction
Indian Dental Association (IDA) has a long history of encouraging and providing continuing professional development (CPD) to the members.
CPD must be made mandatory requirement for continuing registration.
Definitions
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT is the maintenance and active advancement by dentists of their knowledge of scientific, clinical, technical and legislative developments.
Principles
Dentists have an ethical obligation to engage in CPD throughout their practising careers so that the public will be provided with sustained quality patient care.
The IDA, Indian Dental Colleges, specialist associations and other dental groups have an important role in fostering and providing CPD. This includes developing and encouraging CPD activities. All CPD activities should be designed to fulfil dentists’ professional and regulatory requirements.
Policy
There is no evidence indicating that better health and safety outcomes arise from mandatory CPD. IDA encourages further research into the relationship between CPD and quality of patient care.
IDA by providing appropriate CPD assist the members.
Sponsored Continuing Professional Development Activities
Introduction
The Indian Dental Association have conducted independent continuing professional development (CPD) activities for many years.
There should be sponsorship of CPD activities by those who have a commercial interest in the topic, but this will give rise to concerns regarding the clinical and scientific independence of such presentations.
Definitions
CPD is the maintenance and active advancement by dentists of their knowledge of scientific, clinical, technical and legislative developments.
Principles
Scientific and clinical CPD activities should be presented in an impartial manner such that the scientific basis of the activity is not distorted by commercial considerations.
Sponsors are entitled to recognition and appreciation for their financial assistance and support in facilitating activities by expert presenters.
Registrants have a right to know whether or not the activity they are participating in is sponsored and, if so, that it will not be restricted to products offered by the sponsor.
Policy
Scientific and clinical activities should refer to the range of products required to address particular conditions and treatments, and not only those products offered by the sponsor.
Registrants attending recognized CPD events should be advised by the presenter of any relationships with sponsors, preferably during introductory remarks.
The financial support offered by sponsors should be acknowledged formally during the introduction of presenters and when thanking presenters.
When companies simply wish to demonstrate products, they should set up an activity of their own. While not denying the educational value to the profession of such activities, especially in the case of new products, the IDA would not wish to imply its endorsement of the product by its “badging” of the activity.
Depending on the level of support, sponsors’ logos could be included on promotional material for events and on introductory slides, but always separated from the IDA logo.
This Policy Statement should be made available to both sponsors and presenters during initial discussions about proposed events.
Dental Practice Accreditation
Accreditation is the assessment of how well a health care body complies with internationally recognized standards of care. It is awarded by an independent body using specific standards formulated by technical experts.
The assessment is based on information provided by the Oral Health Care Providers (OHCPs) and on-site verification of the same to inspect compliance to the standards. Accreditation status means that a service meets minimum safety and quality standards.
Accreditation which ensures quality, safety and trust through continuous improvement has become an indispensible part of the oral healthcare services all over the world.
National Dental Accreditation Programme
National Dental Accreditation Programme (NDAP) is an exclusive and independent accreditation programme of the Dentists, for the Dentists and by the Indian Dental Association; the single most and largest association of dentists in India.
The applicant organizations undergo a comprehensive and objective evaluation of its resources, quality management systems and operational systems against the standards and guidelines laid down by the National Dental Accreditation Board (NDAB). The NDAP offers complete transparency and faster processing as it uses only the latest and most innovative IT solutions for functioning.
The NDAP ensures safety for patients, staff and the applicant organizations, as it promotes the implementation of globally accepted standards of treatment and care within the organizations.
Salient Features of NDAP
Online Process
Most of the accreditation process is carried out online which cuts down unnecessary costs and frequent visits onsite. Right from registration, accessing the standards, guidelines to implement the standards to the final submission of application for accreditation and uploading of the documents, every process is to online. Also, this is in lieu of the sentiments of "SAVE TREES, SAVE EARTH" as the lesser we waste paper the more trees we save.
Faster and easy to follow
Since the interface of process is user friendly it is easy to follow and as it is online it can be done from any convenient location, thus simplifying it further. Without there being any need to send printed documents and forms to NDAP, all the procedures can be completed from your desk thus saving time and energy.
Training for Applicant Organizations available
To help the OHCPs to implement the standards NDAP also has training programs wherein the dentists can learn how to easily put the standards into practice and help them get accredited.
NDAP trained coordinators available on request
For OHCPs that need further assistance in terms of understanding and implementing the standards, creating and maintaining the required manuals and documents and for preparing the OHCP for onsite assessment, NDAP trained coordinators are available on request.
Career opportunities for Dental Professionals
Through Assessor and Coordinator training programmes, highly qualified and NDAP certified Assessors and Coordinators are recruited into the NDAB’s Panel of Assessors and Administrative Panel respectively.
Transparency
From the OHCP’s point of view, trust on the accreditation is obtained by a transparent system of operating.
Fair Accreditation Process
The Accreditation status is conferred in a non-discriminatory manner regardless of the ownership, geographic location, size, scope and affiliations of the OHCP.
To know more about National Dental Accreditation Programme visit http://ndab.org.in/