Health Care Department Operations Manual

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Chapter 3 – Health Care Operations

Article 3.6 – Dental Care: Health Services Record Management

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3.3.6.6 Dental Holds and Patient Transport/Transfers

  • Policy

    • The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall utilize a dental hold process when the transfer or transport of a patient is not clinically appropriate.

  • Purpose

    • To establish procedures and criteria for placing dental holds on patients scheduled for transfer or transport.

  • Procedure

    • The treating dentist in conjunction with the Supervising Dentist (SD) shall determine if a dental hold should be placed on a patient.

    • A dental hold shall be placed on a patient for any of the following reasons:

      • The patient has untreated Dental Priority Classification 1A dental needs.

      • The patient has a dental condition that in the opinion of the treating dentist, in conjunction with the SD, requires immediate care.

      • Immediate dentures were recently inserted.

      • The patient is awaiting completion of endodontic treatment, (i.e., the obturation of canals).

      • The patient is awaiting an onsite or outside specialty consultation and/or treatment.

      • The patient is awaiting laboratory or biopsy results.

      • The patient is undergoing treatment for a fracture of the mandible or maxilla, and/or is still in wired fixation.

      • The patient is being referred to the Dental Authorization Review Committee.

    • The SD shall review the health record and the Health Care Department Operations Manual (HCDOM) to ensure compliance with approved policies and procedures. (Reference the HCDOM, Section 3.1.9, Health Care Transfer).

    • The treating dentist shall document the dental hold in a clinical note in the Electronic Dental Record System (EDRS) in accordance with EDRS Workflow 1-2 and associated Back Office Job Aid, and as outlined in the HCDOM, Section 3.3.6.1(c)(1)(F) through (H).  The dental hold shall be placed as outlined in the HCDOM, Section 3.3.6.4(c)(1)(A).

    • The SD shall notify the Chief Executive Officer, or designee, of the placement or removal of a dental hold.

    • The dental hold shall be closed only by the attending dentist, outside specialty consultant, or SD. When a dental hold has been placed and the patient refuses treatment of the condition that prompted placement of the hold, the SD or treating dentist shall close the hold in accordance with EDRS Workflow 2-3 and associated Back Office Job Aid, and document the incident as outlined in the HCDOM, Section 3.3.6.1(c)(1)(F) through (H).

    • The procedure for placing or removing a dental hold on a patient is as follows:

      • The treating dentist or SD shall follow the process outlined in the HCDOM, Section 3.3.6.4(c)(1)(A) to initiate a dental hold which places a ‘Movement Warning’ in the Strategic Offender Management System (SOMS).

      • The Classification and Parole Representative (C&PR) shall contact Receiving and Release staff regarding the modification to the transfer list due to a dental hold.

      • Following completion of the procedure or treatment for which the hold was placed, the treating dentist or SD shall close the dental hold in accordance with EDRS Workflow 2-3 and associated Back Office Job Aid, thus releasing the patient for transfer.

  • References

  • Health Care Department Operations Manual, Chapter 3, Article 3, Section 3.1.9, Health Care Transfer

  • Health Care Department Operations Manual, Chapter 3, Article 3, Section 3.3.6.1, Health Records Organization and Maintenance

  • Health Care Department Operations Manual, Chapter 3, Article 3, Section 3.3.6.4, Dental Chronos

  • Revision History

  • Effective: 04/2006
    Revised: 11/2017, 11/2020, 08/2021, 02/2022