It Doesn't Have to End in Disaster: A Case for Employment Compliance.

It only takes one unhappy or disgruntled person to create a legal nightmare for you. There's no need to take this gamble. All it takes is awareness, commitment and action on your part. Once you have your HR house in order and have implemented a sound HR program in your practice, you also can feel good about knowing you are giving your staff every protection due to them under the law and every opportunity to be happy and successful in your practice. For yourself, you will be minimizing your risks and protecting your most valuable asset--your practice. You also will have given yourself the gift of peace of mind.

Legal Considerations for Electronic Health Records.

Electronic health record (EHR) solutions provide many potential benefits for dental practices, whether those programs run internally on a dental practice's computers or are cloud-based solutions. However, these programs also create new risks for a dental practice, which may be mitigated through due diligence and adequate contractual provisions to ensure protection for dentists. This article addresses the legal considerations associated with a dentist entering into a service contract with an EHR vendor.

The management of risk. Part 3: Recording your way out of trouble.

UNLABELLED: Clinical and ethical risk management requires not only the correct treatment being provided, and appropriate consent obtained, but also good records of that treatment. This third article of the series describes the characteristics of good records and their role in helping to prevent the progression of complaints, General Dental Council (GDC) cases and legal claims. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Good records are of fundamental importance in managing risk and preventing and resolving complaints and legal claims.

Dental Service Organization affiliation: Understanding key aspects of State Dental Practice Act compliance.

Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) are an increasingly visible and available practice option for new dental graduates. While guidance has been published to help dental students make informed decisions when considering a DSO affiliation, they have not focused on the complexities of assessing compliance with controlling state laws. Accordingly, this Perspectives article provides a concise summary of the common components of state regulatory provisions across the United States to support an understanding of the corporate practice of dentistry and compliance considerations. The guiding principles to consider include ownership or proprietorship of and control over a dental practice; control over dental offices, equipment, and materials; employment of dental personnel; and control over clinical judgment. This article should be helpful to students who are considering a DSO affiliation and educators who prepare them to enter dental practice.

Reducing the risk of an awDA lawsuit.

Improving access to your dental office now is cheaper than waiting to be sued.

Power, ethics, and corporate dentistry.

The North Carolina Dental Association recently sought to place clear statutory limits on the influence of corporate, nondental interests over dentists practices' decision-making. This report describes the two-year legislative battle with well-funded and politically connected parties that ultimately resulted in laws that protect patients' rights to be treated by a dentist free of outside commercial interests.

New practice models and trends in the practice of oral health.

Various internal and external factors are beginning to influence the delivery of dental care in North Carolina. This article reviews some of the current trends that have led to a shift toward new practice models-some of which are in stark contrast to solo private practice.

How the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act affects Texas dentists.

President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) into law March 23, 2010 (P.L. 111-148), as arguably the most significant legislative health reform since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 (1). Several PPACA provisions will impact dentists as both health care providers and small business owners and employers (2). Overall, the law significantly changes health care financing and facilitates competition in the health insurance market place through the creation of health insurance exchanges (HIX).

Who can inspect your dental practice?

There are several government agencies that may inspect your dental practice. The majority of inspections are carried out by the National Employment Rights Authority, the Health and Safety Authority, the Revenue Commissioners and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. Below is a summary of the minimum requirements that should be in place to ensure compliance with the relevant legislation. You should always seek appropriate advice for your own particular circumstances.