WSR 18-12-116 PERMANENT RULES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (Dental Quality Assurance Commission) [Filed June 6, 2018, 10:12 a.m., effective January 1, 2019] Effective Date of Rule: January 1, 2019. Purpose: WAC 246-817-440 Dentist continuing education requirements, the dental quality assurance commission (commission) adopted amendments to update and clarify continuing education (CE) requirements when dentists renew their license. The adopted rule clarifies CE subject matter, describes different ways to obtain CE, establishes the number of hours a licensed dentist may devote to specific CE activities, and identifies mandatory CE of a dental jurisprudence examination. Additionally, the adopted rule changes the reporting period of CE from twenty-one hours annually to sixty-three hours every three years. The adopted rule is necessary to provide clear requirements for licensed dentists to obtain CE. The adopted change of the CE reporting period does not increase the number of hours, but allows the dentist time to complete the hours over a three year period. The adopted rule begins the three year reporting period on January 1, 2019. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 246-817-440. Adopted under notice filed as WSR 18-06-027 on February 27, 2018. A final cost-benefit analysis is available by contacting Jennifer Santiago, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98501, phone 360-236-4893, fax 360-236-2901, TTY 360-833-6388 or 711, email jennifer.santiago@doh.wa.gov, web site www.doh.wa.gov. Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0. Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0. Date Adopted: April 20, 2018. John B. Carbery, D.M.D. Dental Quality Assurance Commission
AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 13-15-144, filed 7/23/13, effective 8/23/13)
WAC 246-817-440 Dentist continuing education requirements.
(((1) Purpose. The dental quality assurance commission (DQAC) has determined that the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the state will be served by requiring all dentists, licensed under chapter 18.32 RCW, to continue their professional development via continuing education after receiving such licenses.
(2) Effective date. The effective date for the continuing education requirement for dentists is July 1, 2001. The first reporting cycle for verifying completion of continuing education hours will begin with renewals due July 1, 2002, and each renewal date thereafter. Every)) The goal of continuing education is to encourage the lifetime professional development of the licensed dentist, and to enhance the clinical and overall skills needed to protect the health and safety of all patients.
(1) A licensed dentist shall complete a minimum of sixty-three hours of continuing education every three years.
(a) The three-year continuing education reporting period for a dentist licensed in Washington before 2019 begins January 1, 2019, and verification of completion of continuing education hours will be due on the dentist's annual license renewal date in 2022, and every three years thereafter. The three-year continuing education reporting period for a dentist initially licensed in Washington in 2019 or later begins upon date of licensure.
(b) A licensed dentist ((must sign an affidavit attesting)) shall attest to the completion of ((the required number of)) sixty-three hours of continuing education every three years as a part of their ((annual)) license renewal requirement.
(((3) Requirements. Licensed dentists must complete twenty-one clock hours of continuing education, each year, in conjunction with their annual renewal date. DQAC)) (c) The dental quality assurance commission (commission) may randomly audit up to twenty-five percent of ((practitioners)) licensed dentists every three years for compliance after the ((credential)) license is renewed as allowed by chapter 246-12 WAC, Part 7.
(((4) Acceptable continuing education - Qualification of courses for continuing education credit. DQAC)) (d) A licensed dentist shall comply with the requirements of chapter 246-12 WAC, Part 7.
(e) The commission will not authorize or approve specific continuing education courses.
(2) A licensed dentist shall complete the commission approved dental jurisprudence examination once every three years. One hour of continuing education will be granted toward the sixty-three hour requirement.
(3) Continuing education ((course work)) must contribute to the professional knowledge and development of the ((practitioner,)) licensed dentist or enhance services provided to patients((.
For the purposes of this chapter, acceptable continuing education means courses offered or authorized by industry recognized state, private, national and international organizations, agencies or institutions of higher learning. Examples of sponsors, or types of continuing education courses may include, but are not limited to:
(a) The American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, National Dental Association, American Dental Hygienists' Association, National Dental Hygienists' Association, American Dental Association specialty organizations, including the constituent and component/branch societies.
(b) Basic first aid, CPR, BLS, ACLS, OSHA/WISHA, or emergency related training; such as courses offered or authorized by the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society; or any other organizations or agencies.
(c) Educational audio or videotapes, films, slides, internet, or independent reading, where an assessment tool is required upon completion are acceptable but may not exceed seven hours per year.
(d) Teaching a seminar or clinical course for the first time is acceptable but may not exceed ten hours per year.
(e) Nonclinical courses relating to dental practice organization and management, patient management, or methods of health delivery may not exceed seven hours per year. Estate planning, financial planning, investments, and personal health courses are not acceptable.
(f) Dental examination standardization and calibration workshops.
(g) Provision of clinical dental services in a formal volunteer capacity may be considered for continuing education credits when preceded by an educational/instructional training prior to provision of services. Continuing education credits in this area shall not exceed seven hours per renewal cycle.
(5) Refer to chapter 246-12 WAC, Part 7, administrative procedures and requirements for credentialed health care providers for further information regarding compliance with the continuing education requirements for health care providers)). Continuing education must be completed in one or more of the following subject categories:
(a) Education courses relating to the practice of dentistry;
(b) Emergency management, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and pediatric advanced life support (PALS);
(c) Health care provider basic life support (BLS). BLS certification is required in WAC 246-817-720. One hour of continuing education for each BLS certification course will be granted. A licensed dentist may not count more than three hours every three years in this category;
(d) Infection control, federal/state safety standards, and radiation protection;
(e) Pharmacology, prescribing practices, and pain management;
(f) Ethics;
(g) Patient care related education including risk management, methods of health delivery, multicultural, and suicide prevention education;
(h) Washington state dentistry law;
(i) Practice management and billing practices. A licensed dentist may not count more than twenty-one hours every three years in this category.
(4) Continuing education in subject categories identified in subsection (3) of this section may be completed using any of the following activities or methods:
(a) Attendance at local, state, national, or international continuing education courses, live interactive webinars, dental study clubs, postdoctoral education, and dental residencies;
(b) Self-study by various means, relevant to dentistry, without an instructor physically present.
(i) Self-study can be continuing education provided online or through the mail provided by a continuing education provider. Thirty minutes will count for every one hour completed for this activity;
(ii) Self-study can be reading a book that contributes to the professional knowledge and development of the licensed dentist, or enhance services provided to patients. A two-page synopsis of what was learned written by the licensed dentist is required. Two hours of continuing education for each book and synopsis will be granted. A licensed dentist may not count more than six hours every three years for this activity.
(c) Teaching, presenting, or lecturing in a course, only if the presentation or lecture is created or authored by the dentist claiming the continuing education hours. A licensed dentist may not count more than twenty-one hours every three years in this activity;
(d) Direct clinical supervision of dental students and dental residents. A licensed dentist may not count more than twenty-one hours every three years in this activity;
(e) Publishing a paper in a peer review journal. A licensed dentist may count fifteen hours the year the paper is published and may not count more than a total of thirty hours every three years in this activity. A copy of the publication is required;
(f) Reading and critically evaluating any hypothesis-driven scientific journal article on a topic that has relevance to dentistry and is published in a peer-reviewed journal devoted to dentistry, medicine, or useful to dentistry. A licensed dentist may not count more than twenty-one hours every three years.
(i) Before completing this activity, the licensed dentist must complete at least four hours of education in evidence-based dentistry or medicine that includes journal article evaluation. The four-hour education may count toward the required sixty-three hour requirement. The four-hour education is a one-time requirement. A licensed dentist may not count more than four hours every three years.
(ii) A licensed dentist may count one hour for each article that the dentist completes a "Critical Evaluation of a Journal Article" questionnaire. The questionnaire may be obtained from the commission. The completed questionnaire is required;
(g) Volunteer dental patient care. A licensed dentist may not count more than twenty-one hours every three years; and
(h) The commission will accept a current certification or recertification from any specialty board approved and recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA), the American Board of Dental Specialties (ABDS), or other specialty board certification or recertification approved by the commission as sixty-two hours of continuing education. The commission will also accept the award of Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, or the Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition Award as sixty-two hours of continuing education. The certification, recertification, or award must be obtained in the three-year reporting period.
(5) Proof of continuing education is a certificate of completion, letter, or other documentation verifying or confirming attendance or completion of continuing education hours. Documentation must be from the organization that provided the activity, except in subsection (4)(b)(ii), (e), and (f)(ii) of this section, and must contain at least the following:
(a) Date of attendance or completion;
(b) Hours earned; and
(c) Course title or subject.
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