The Impact of Capnography Based Education on Knowledge Modification Amongst Dental Staff: A Process Improvement Project
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Mild to moderate sedation during dental procedures provide many benefits to the patient and the dentist. However, the depth of sedation occurs along a continuum, and it is impossible to predict how an individual receiving treatment will respond. Many routine monitoring advances have become universally adopted by the dental field including the use of capnography for procedural sedation. The literature and supporting data currently recognize the use of capnography as a valid and reliable monitoring tool for the early detection of oxygen desaturation to prevent adverse outcomes when patients are receiving moderate to deep levels of sedation. Dental providers as well as the assisting staff must be able to diagnose and manage the physiologic consequences that can occur in patients whose level of sedation becomes deeper than intended. This scholarly project aims to examine whether a 30-minute educational session on capnography influences the knowledge retention of the clinical staff employed at a local dental office and to highlight the areas of process improvement. The participants will partake in a quantitative pretest questionnaire designed to establish a baseline level of knowledge regarding the topic, followed by a posttest questionnaire immediately after the presentation, and again after a period of 30 days to assess knowledge retention. Dental practices are utilizing methods to increase patient convenience and satisfaction, and it is the duty of the facility as a whole to ensure that staff have a basic understanding of monitoring equipment, such as capnography, in order to ensure patient safety.