Chapter 3 – Health Care Operations

3.3.6.3 Privacy of Care

• Policy

  • All California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation dental departments shall operate in accordance with the California Dental Practice Act and ensure that all patient protection provisions of the Act are in force.  All dental services shall be rendered with consideration for the patient’s dignity and feelings and in a manner designed to ensure privacy of care in patient treatment and to encourage the patient’s subsequent use of dental services.

• Purpose

  • To establish guidelines and procedures dental clinics shall use to ensure privacy of care, when not in conflict with security and custodial policies, during patient dental treatment.

• Procedure

  • Patient dental treatment shall be performed as privately as possible, (i.e., only authorized Division of Health Care Services (DHCS) staff shall be present in the treatment area unless security necessitates the presence of a Correctional Officer).  A chaperon or interpreter shall be present when indicated.

  • Photographing or videotaping of medical/dental procedures shall only be done with the written consent of the patient, and with the approval of the DHCS, and the local administration.  A formal Use of Force incident, where continuous video recording is used to document the entire event, shall be exempt from this requirement.

  • Reference the Health Care Department Operations Manual, Section 3.1.5, Scheduling and Access to Care.

• References

• Health Care Department Operations Manual, Chapter 2, Article 1, Section 3.1.5, Scheduling and Access to Care

• Revision History

• Effective: 04/2006
  Revised: 11/2017, 11/2020, 02/2022