Register for course

Speaker: Dr. Tien Jiang
Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Abstract: In clinical practice, we are constantly met with patients who don’t “get it”, whether their home oral hygiene behaviors never change or they resist accepting treatment. Our automatic reaction may be to blame them. But what about us? In the age of social media, the dental team is constantly faced with dispelling misinformation and false advertising. This combined with dental anxiety and existing mistrust create constant communication barriers between patients and dental providers. Simple and concise patient education tools in the dental setting can combat these factors and potentially improve patient outcomes. Stop blaming the patient, and let’s improve our own techniques. This session will make you rethink how you engage with patients. You will learn how to revitalize patient education by applying simple concepts of readability, plain language, and communication techniques.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Explain readability in the context of patient communication and oral health education
2. Define plain language and prepare an example of using it for your next written/spoken communication
3. Identify at least three communication techniques from the American Medical Association that will improve patient understanding

Tuition: $49/1 ADA CERP credit hour

Course Prerequisites: None required 
Course Format: Virtual Lecture
Conflict of Interest: None reported by speaker
Contact: Caitlin Laughlin at caitlin_laughlin@hsdm.harvard.edu
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation 7 days before the course will be eligible for full refund. No refund will be made within 7 days of the course initiation date.