The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) and the DALE Foundation have recently made some changes to the OSAP-DALE Foundation Dental Infection Prevention and Control Certificate Program™ to make the educational program more accessible for dental professionals.
When the program was first announced earlier this year, it included four steps and a variety of learning options, including online, paper-based, and in-person. Now, the program is three steps, lower in cost and entirely online. These changes were made based on feedback OSAP and the DALE Foundation received from the dental community.
“After speaking with several dental professionals, it became clear that streamlining the steps of the program would bring tremendous benefits,” says OSAP Executive Director Michelle Lee, CPC. “Access to high-quality infection control information is paramount and this three-step program delivers.”
The certificate program is intended for every healthcare professional who implements infection prevention and control standards and guidelines in dental settings, plus educators, consultants, dental sales representatives, and state dental board and public health investigators and inspectors.
3 Steps to Earn the OSAP-DALE Foundation Dental Infection Prevention and Control Certificate
Steps 1 and 2 can be completed in any order.
- Complete the OSAP-DALE Foundation online CDEA® module: Understanding CDC’s Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings ($30)
AND
- Complete the online OSAP-DALE Foundation Dental Infection Prevention and Control eHandbook™ ($225)
AND
- Pass the online OSAP-DALE Foundation eHandbook Assessment™ COMING IN LATE 2019/EARLY 2020! ($50)
“Public protection is the driving force behind our organizations’ work,” explains Executive Director of the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) and the DALE Foundation Cynthia Durley, M.Ed., MBA. “By making these changes, we are increasing the accessibility of critical infection prevention and control materials that all healthcare personnel working in dental settings need to keep themselves and patients safe.”
The certificate program is one component of a larger initiative between OSAP, DANB and the DALE Foundation that also includes online infection control continuing education modules and two professional dental infection control certification programs currently in development. The impetus behind this initiative has been the growing need for accurate and accessible dental infection control resources and valid third-party standards-based certification programs.
To learn more about the educational certificate program or the forthcoming professional certifications, visit the Dental Infection Control Education & Certification website at dentalinfectioncontrol.org.