Quality Management in Dental Offices in the Lodz Voivodeship in the Opinion of the Facilities’ Employees and Owners

Abstract Background The benefits of introducing specific procedures in a company have been proven. They systematize the work, increases the efficiency of the enterprise and employee productivity. They also allow the owners to reduce waste and maximize the company’s profits. The standard for improving quality in the enterprise presented by the International Organization for Standardization is the 9000: 2015 norm, it is the applicable standard. Possible barriers to the implementation of the procedures and quality improvement, such as ISO standards or accreditation for dental clinics, were assessed. The main barriers include the standards’ inadequacy to the size and structure of the facility, and thus the costs of its implementation are disproportionate to the benefits for dental clinics. Objective The aim of the study is to assess the demand for a holistic and cross-sectional quality management system in dental clinics in Poland and to create procedures adequate to the needs. Material and methods The research was carried out among the owners/managers of dental clinics in the Lodz Voivodeship and their employees: doctors, dental assistants/hygienists, medical recorders/patient caregivers. The tool applied was an anonymous questionnaire in an electronic form, intended for self-completion by respondents. The study began in June 2022 and continued until 215 questionnaires were collected from dental office employees and 39 questionnaires from owners and managers. The data was compiled using the Statistica software. Results The presented results clearly show the need for procedures and their standardization as well as quality improvements in dental offices. More than 66.5% of employees and 68.4% of dental offices’ owners point out a positive impact and the need to introduce procedures and improve quality. As many as 72% of employees believe that it would improve work efficiency. They also present the impact of procedures on safety at work, reduction of stress factors, as well as reduction of waste and maximization of profits. Conclusions The presented data clearly shows that there is a need for procedures and quality improvement, both among employees as well as owners and managers. Specific procedures allow to increase the level of employees’ security, ensure the quality of services provided and ameliorate the flow of information in the enterprise. All these benefits support the creation of a holistic and cross-sectional tool that would include all procedures and quality improvement that would systematize the work of dental offices.