Original Article

Year : 2020 | Volume : 5 | Issue : 1 | Page :33 - 34

Pilot Study – To Investigate the Frequency of Patient Identity Validation When First Registering with a UK Dental Practice

Adrian Harry Blake

From the Institution of Archaeologists, Affiliated Member of Royal Society of Biology, Affiliated Member of Royal Society of Chemistry, Member of Institution of Physics.

Address for correspondence:

Dr. Adrian Harry Blake, E‐mail: adrianboff@hotmail.co.uk

Abstract

Aims:

The aim of this pilot study is to investigate the frequency of identity validation for patients, when they first register with a dental practice.

Methods:

The pilot study reviewed responses made by 16 dental practices in the South West of England to the question, “When a new patient first registers with your practice, is any proof of identity required before they are able to book an appointment and see a clinician?”

Results:

All 16 of the dental practices surveyed reported not asking new patients for any form of formal identification.

Conclusion:

With none of the practices surveyed asking for the proof of identity when new patients enroll at the practice, there does therefore, appear to be a disparity between the legal weight that dental records hold in the process of identification of human remains, relative to the level of proof of identity from which the former is taken.

Key Words: Patient identity, validation

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

How to cite this article:

Blake AH. Pilot study – To investigate the frequency of patient identity validation when first registering with a UK dental practice. Int J Forensic Odontol 2020;5:33-4.