Study of risk management for orthodontists' practice in Taiwan

Background/Purpose: Risk management in the health-care industry is a systematic approach for mitigating potential risks and enhancing patient safety. This study examined orthodontists' perceptions of and attitudes toward risk management in Taiwan. The results provide clinical references informing policies for health-care institutions in Taiwan. Materials and methods: During the 2021 Taiwan Association of Orthodontics (TAO) annual meeting, a structured questionnaire was distributed to 143 randomly selected orthodontists. This questionnaire comprised 23 questions on demographics (5 questions), knowledge of risk management (5 questions), execution of and attitude toward risk management (8 questions), and adverse event experiences (7 questions). After the frequency distribution of each question was examined, demographics and participants' preferences were analyzed through chi-square and multiple regression tests. Results: Goodness-of-fit testing revealed no significant differences in sex or age between the participants and TAO members. Most of the orthodontists were employees (68.31%). Additionally, most of the orthodontists (90.14%) believed that a favorable doctor-patient relationship and high-quality orthodontic treatment are essential for mitigating the risks associated with orthodontic care. Moreover, 30.28% of the orthodontists reported AEs, and 38.73% reported foreign body ingestion by patients. No significant correlation was observed between demographics and risk management. Conclusion: The majority of orthodontists in Taiwan have a positive understanding of and attitude toward risk management. Factors such as sex, age, and clinical experience have a minimal influence on the implementation of risk management practices by Taiwanese orthodontists. These findings provide valuable clinical references for governmental organizations aiming to formulate policies related to orthodontic practice and risk management.