Workshop Participation Report: The 4th International Workshop on Clinical Research Methods in Oral Health, Chang Mai, Thailand
- Name
- Maiko Kawasaki, DDS, PhD
Division of Bio-Prosthodontics
The 4th International Workshop on Clinical Research Methods in Oral Health was convened February 20th to 24th, 2012 in Chang Mai, Thailand. Forty people from 11 countries who are interested in clinical research participated in the meeting, which consisted of 5 plenary lectures, 1 workshop, and several discussions led by experts in the field. The workshop covered a vast range of topics, including Evidence-based Dentistry, Behavioral Research in Dentistry, Randomized Clinical Trials, Ethical Issues, Biostatistics and Study Design Workshop. Clinical research was well covered, and there was a lively discussion about study design.
My specialty is prosthodontics and I improve patient's oral condition on a daily basis. To further help my patients, I wanted to become a qualified researcher, especially in clinical research, at it is essential that we evaluate the change that treatment gives to the patients. Before participating in this workshop, I had little knowledge about clinical studies. This workshop gave me the opportunity to learn the ideas and techniques to carry out such studies. I was especially impressed by Professor Coldwell with her lecture on “Measuring Behavior”, which was highly interesting. She clearly explained the validity of self-report measurement including a case-based example. Using her jacket to explain the topic made the lecture very memorable. Putting my experience of this workshop to use, I am drafting new clinical research now.
The workshop also gave me the opportunity to make many new international friends and their motivation has served as a stimulus for me. I would like to thank Niigata University Faculty of Dentistry, University of Washington, Khon Kaen University, Thammasat University and Fogarty International Center and the US National Institutes of Health who gave me the opportunity to attend this invaluable workshop.
