IMEP adapts Crew Resource Management to introduce Patient Safety Checklist for Dentistry

BIRMINGHAM, AL, October 09, 2010

The Institute of Medical Emergency Preparedness is proud to announce its adaptation of Crew Resource Management (CRM) into Dentistry for the advancement of Patient Safety and the reduction of errors to occur late 2010 or early 2011. CRM uses integrated training, process improvement and team development and uses all available resources including people, process and technology to enhance safety and operational efficiency. IMEP is a recognized leader in medical emergency preparedness and its plethora of patient safety checklists will assist the dental team with the concept of CRM.

CRM was introduced in the aviation industry during a NASA workshop in 1979, designed as a training program to improve air safety and reduce the increasing number of fatal accidents attributable to human error. The primary cause of the majority of aviation accidents occurring at that time were due to human error, the leading causes of which were failures of interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit.

CRM models have been adapted to various industries and organizations. Many companies have introduced CRM to various healthcare organizations to develop, promote and enhance patient safety programs and reduce medical errors. CRM has produced favorable results.
CRM is concerned not so much with the technical knowledge and skills required to operate equipment or perform specific operations, but rather with the cognitive and interpersonal skills needed to effectively manage a team-based, high-risk activity. Cognitive skills are defined as the mental processes used for gaining and maintaining situational awareness, for solving problems and making decisions. Interpersonal skills are regarded as communications and a range of behavioral activities associated with teamwork.
The following universal CRM skills which are transferred to the dental team are standardized communication, team briefings/debriefings, situational awareness, decision making, leadership strategies, effective teamwork, critical language and error management

IMEP's core Patient Safety Checklists (PSC) will consist of 3 phases:
1. Pre-Procedural Phase
2. Procedural Phase
3. Post-procedural Phase
IMEP is out to "Build a Better Team" at the Dental Office. The application of CRM in a dental practice will:

-Increase patient safety
-Save patient lives
-Reduce overhead costs
-Reduce medical errors
-Reduce medications errors
-Improve your dental team's skills
-Improve the performance of yourself and your teams
-Reduce the risk of negative patient outcomes
-Improve the level of quality, safety and reliability toward patient care
-Increased competence and confidence for improved patient outcomes
-Increase quality of care delivered by yourself and your team
-Decrease mortality rates
-Improve patient care experience
-Improved team skills
-Increase heightened morale of the dental team

Besides the 3 phases of the IMEP Patient Safety Checklist, other checklists will be released, approximately 15 of them, all dealing with various aspects of emergency preparedness and patient rescue.

About IMEP
IMEP is an innovative leader for dental healthcare professionals and their team members in preparing for medical emergencies within the dental field. IMEP is recognized by national and state organizations and associations across the United States as the preferred provider of medical emergency preparedness. The goal of IMEP is to make Medical Emergency Preparedness a core competency in every dental office; and through enabling education, prepare the dental healthcare professional and their team to respond calmly, effectively and efficiently during the extremely critical time period between the onset of an emergency incident and the arrival of EMS professionals. These skills may be the difference in the life of a patient and the preservation of your practice. For more information, please visit http://www.emergencyactionguide.com