Professional Collaboration
I recently completed assessments on a client in the community that had a liver transplant seven years prior. I was unsure if this client needed antibiotic prophylaxis prior to invasive dental hygiene treatment. I therefore took the initiative to contact his family physician. After several phone calls back and forth with the receptionist I finally was able to speak with his doctor. She was unsure if he needed the antibiotics, so he gave me the phone number to the clinic where the transplant was performed. I again left several messages with the receptionist and finally spoke with the specialist. She was very helpful and faxed me a review of the patient’s last liver evaluation (which is done monthly) and a document stating that this particular client did not need the use of the antibiotic prophylaxis treatment. I felt this was an important experience for my learning because not only did it enable me to communicate professionally and effectively with other practitioners, but it also allowed for me to embrace collaboration with other health care environments.