Human Factors in Dentistry

Non-Technical skills are part of ‘human factors’ relating to the cognitive and social skills which are used to underpin performance. In relation to healthcare, they have been shown to be key skills in supporting good clinical performance and better patient outcomes. Non-technical skills should not be confused with clinical skills - which are related to knowledge and experience - or technical performance, which is related to training and practice.

Investigations into adverse events have shown that as many as 80% are the result of issues relating to human factors, such as a breakdown in communication, the inability to reflect, or poor situation awareness.

The Faculty of Dental Trainers, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, is developing a new dental non-technical skills framework. This session will present the framework and collect participant feedback on its structure and various component parts - particularly in relation to how it is interpreted where English isn't someone's first language