Policy Statement 5.11 - Credentialing for Hospital Practice

Position Summary

Credentialling committees should include dentist(s). The committee should recognise that dentists are able to provide all dental treatment modalities within their registered scope of clinical practice.

1. Background

1.1. Australian public and private hospitals make decisions about credentialing and defining the scope of practice of dentists seeking to be engaged by hospitals or to make use of hospital facilities.

1.2. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care: Credentialling health practitioners and defining their scope of practice: A guide for managers and practitioners (December 2015) provides the framework for credentialing of practitioners to practise in hospitals.

1.3. The Board publishes a register of general and specialist dentists, which is available online.

1.4. The register of dentists includes any conditions or restrictions imposed on a dentist by the Board as the consequence of disciplinary or other action by the Board.

1.5. All dentists registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) are able to provide all dental treatment modalities within their individual education, training and competence, unless restricted by a condition imposed by the Board.

1.6. Scope of Practice is determined by each category of dental practitioners' formal education and training while Defining the Scope of Clinical Practice involves the delineation of the extent of the individual’s practice within an organisation.

1.7. Dentists are responsible for ensuring that they have received appropriate training to provide the services being credentialled and have engaged in appropriate reflection upon their competency.

Definitions

1.8. BOARD is the Dental Board of Australia.

1.9. CREDENTIALING is verification of the qualifications, experience and professional standing of dentists in order to decide whether they are professionally capable and suitable to provide safe, high quality dental services within specific organisational environments.

1.10. DEFINING THE SCOPE OF CLINICAL PRACTICE is the extent of an individual clinician’s approved clinical practice within a particular organisation, based on the clinician’s skills, knowledge, performance and professional suitability, and the needs and service capability of the organisation.

2. Position

2.1. The scope of clinical dental practice to be undertaken in hospitals must recognise that all dentists are registered to provide all dental treatment modalities unless restricted by a condition imposed by the Board.

2.2. Scope of clinical practice should include reflective self-assessment to prevent practise beyond the range of a dental practitioner’s training, qualifications, experience and competence.

2.3. Limitations should only be placed on the scope of practice of a particular dentist if:

• the Board has imposed a condition or restriction on the registration of the dentist;

• the facilities available at the hospital do not permit certain treatment activities;

• there is evidence that the required credentials and demonstrated competence has not been met, as determined by a dentist on the credentialling committee.

2.4. When the credentialing of a dentist is undertaken by a credentialing committee, there should be representation from registered dentists.