Course Overview
Confidentiality is central to delivering safe, ethical, and trustworthy dental care. As practices increasingly rely on digital systems, shared records, and interprofessional collaboration, safeguarding patient information has never been more essential. This course provides dental professionals with a clear understanding of the Caldicott Principles - the UK framework designed to govern the responsible use, storage, and sharing of patient-identifiable information.
Aims:
- To develop awareness and understanding of the Caldicott Principles in dental care.
- To support legal, ethical, and practical application of confidentiality in dental practice.
- To promote data security, accountability, and best practices across the dental team.
Objectives:
By the end of this course, dental professionals will be able to:
- Define the Caldicott Principles and their relevance to dental practice.
- Identify what constitutes patient-identifiable information (PII).
- Recognise common confidentiality breaches and how to avoid them.
- Understand the role of the Caldicott Guardian in information governance.
- Apply legal frameworks including the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.
- Demonstrate practical steps to secure both digital and paper-based patient records.
- Understand the responsibilities of the entire dental team in protecting data.
Learning Outcomes:
After completing this course, learners will be able to:
- Explain each of the seven Caldicott Principles.
- Justify the use or sharing of patient data using appropriate ethical and legal reasoning.
- Identify appropriate and inappropriate uses of patient information.
- Comply with GDC standards regarding confidentiality.
- Implement safe practices for data handling in clinical and administrative settings.
- Support colleagues in maintaining confidentiality through training and protocols.
GDC Development Outcomes:
B, D
Review Date:
January 2027
