I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Principles of Practice Management & Communication

2. Course Prefix & Number:
DENT 1133

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 2

Lecture Hours: 1

Lab Hours: 2

4. Course Description:

This course teaches general principles of communication in health care settings. Specific emphasis is placed on verbal and nonverbal skills, assertiveness and confidentially in a variety of situations to include receptionist, office manager, business manager, insurance clerk, records manager, data processor, appointment clerk and bookkeeping. It will cover the use of the dental software system Dentrix and operation of basic office equipment.

5. Placement Tests Required:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

7. Other Prerequisites
A grade of “C” or higher in all Fall semester DENT courses except for DENT 1116 Dental Clinic I, which must be a grade of “B” or higher.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Dental Assisting, AAS Degree
Dental Assisting, Diploma

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate oral communication skills	Present a health topic through an oral presentation.
Demonstrate written communication skills	Compose a personal career portfolio.
Utilize appropriate technology	Complete assignments on the dental software program Dentrix G4.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Define effective written and oral communication.
• Discuss successful interaction with the dental patient.
• Interpret office management responsibilities.
• Demonstrate appopintment scheduling, insurance processing, continue care systems and inventory systems in a computer based format.
• Produce quality resume and cover letter.
• Demonstrate dental charting in a computer based format.

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Administrative dental assistant
• The roles of the administrative dental assistant, office manager, business manager, receptionist, insurance biller, records manager, data processor, bookkeeper, and appointment scheduler
• Dental practice procedural manual
• Different elements of the manual
2. Telephone techniques
3. Basic office equipment
4. Scheduling and appointment control
5. Records management
• Filing
• Indexing
• patient confidentiality
• Components of a clinical record
• The function of each component
6. Dental charting terms
7. Continue care plans
8. Business correspondence
9. Accounts receivable
• Bookkeeping
• Transaction
• Posting
10. Dental insurance types
11. Financial plans
• Collection techniques
12. Inventory control systems
• Method of purchasing
13. Accounts payable
14. Relationship of the patient and dental team
• Significant people in psychology
• Social attitude
• Peer pressure
• Humanistic theory according to Maslow and Rogers
• Maslow’s theory to patient relations
• Problem-solving techniques
15. Customer service
• Providing outstanding customer service
• Team strategies
• Personal strategies
• Positive image for the dental practice
16. Listening
• Responsive listening
• Ways to improve listening
• Ways to improve responding
17. Communication process
• Five elements of the communication process
• Verbal and nonverbal messages
• Different types of interpersonal communication
• Barriers to effective communication
• How members of the dental healthcare team can remove these barriers
• Responsibilities of the sender
• Responsibilities of the receiver
• Various channels of organization communication
• Team concept for better communication
18. Cultural diversity communication barriers
19. Stress
20. Assertiveness, Aggressiveness, Nonassertive behavior
• Non-verbal behavior
• Verbal assertive behavior

2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions

1. Business office equipment

2. Scheduling appointments

• Control of appointments

3. Dental charting

4. Business correspondence

5. Accounts Receivable

• Entering charges
• Entering  payments
• Entering adjustments
• Collection requests

6. Dental insurance claim form

7. Accounts payable

8. Clinical record

• Enter data for a clinical record
• Continue care

9. Professional career

• Mock interview
• Personal career portfolio
• Cover letter
• Resume