Report

Report on The 4^th UW/KKU/TU International Workshop on Clinical Research Methods in Oral Health

Period

February 17 – March 5, 2012

Report by the Participants

Report:

First assignment - Attending as a facilitator of the 4th International Workshop on Clinical Research Methods in Oral Health, A Joint Workshop by the University of Washington, Khon Kaen University & Thammasat University, February 20‐24, 2012, Chiang Mai, Thailand

There were 8 components of Short Term Training Program (5-day Workshop) such as Biostatistical concepts (5 hours), Clinical Epidemiology & Study Design (5 hours), Behavioral Research Methods (5 hours), Data Analysis (present examples), Clinical Trials (2 hours), Grantsmanship (2 hours), Research Ethics (5 hours), and Development of Research Proposal (5 hours-group work).

The Course Objectives were at the completion of the course participants would be:

1. Critical consumers of the dental literature by understanding the basic principles and methods of evidence-based dentistry
2. Familiar with the commonly used methods and study designs in behavioral dental research
3. Understand the fundamentals issues in randomized clinical trials
4. Familiar with the specific ethical issues involved in the planning, implementation and completion of human subject research.
5. Comfortable with statistical methods for calculating summary estimates, measures of variability, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing.
6. Familiar with power and sample size calculations.
7. Able to design valid and efficient studies to address clinical and dental public health problems.

At the fourth workshop, there were 5 lecturers from University of Washington, Seattle, USA as follows.

• Timothy A. DeRouen, Ph.D., Professor of Biostatistics and Oral Health Sciences, Interim Dean, School of Dentistry, Director, Northwest PRECEDENT Practice‐based Research Network
• Philippe Hujoel, D.D.S., M.S., M.S.D., Ph.D., Professor of Oral Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Associate Editor, Journal of Evidence Based Dental Practice
• Susan Coldwell, Ph.D., Professor of Oral Health Sciences, Associate Dean for Student Life & Admissions, School of Dentistry
• JoAnna Scott, Ph.D., Acting Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry
• Michael G. Donahue, B.S., Research Coordinator, Institute for Translational Health Sciences

There were also 4 facilitators of the group assignment as follows. From Khon Kaen University, Thailand, Waranuch Pitiphat D.D.S., M.P.H.M., M.Sc., Sc.D., F.R.C.D.T. (Dental Public Health), Associate Dean for Research, Graduate Studies and International Affairs, Department of Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry. From Thammasat University, Thailand

Prathip Phantumvanit D.D.S., M.S., F.R.C.D.T. (Dental Public Health), Former Dean, Faculty of Dentistry; Yupin Songpaisan D.D.S., M.P.H., Sc.M, Odont. Dr., F.R.C.D.T. (Dental Public Health)

Former Dean, Faculty of Dentistry (Currently at Faculty of Dentistry, Niigata University, Japan) and Piya Siriphant, D.D.S., M.P.H., Ph.D., F.R.C.D.T. (Dental Public Health), Community Dentistry Group Leader.

The first workshop in 2007 was held in Ayutthaya, Thailand. The second workshop in 2009 was held in Phuket, Thailand. The third workshop in 2011 was held in Luang Prabang, Laos PDR. The fourth one was in 2012 was held in Chiangmai, Thailand. The overall 4 workshops had 142 participants, from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Mongolia, Philippines, South Korea, Japan and Thailand.

Tuition and accommodation are supported by the Fogarty International Center, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH/NIDCR), under the training grant “Clinical, Public Health and Behavioral Oral Health Research Training for Thailand”.

Second assignment: Possible collaboration with Thammasat University and Khon Kaen University

For Thammasat University, proposed by Community Dentistry Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Thammasat University led by Dr Piya Siriphant (DDS and PhD in Health Education from University of North Carolina, USA) and his team consisted of Dr Sutee Suksudaj (DDS and PhD in Social Epidemiology from University of Adelaide, Australia), Dr Nattira Suksudaj (DDS and PhD in Dental Education from University of Adelaide, Australia), Dr Matana Kettratad (DDS nad PhD in Geriatric Dentistry from University of British Columbia, Canada) and Dr Woranuch Chetpakdeechit (DDS and Odont Dr from University of Goteburg, Sweden). Collaborative International Workshop on the creation of Practice based evidence for the promotion of oral health in a globalized world. This one-week workshop will be organized in Thailand every January. Emphases of this workshop are on 1) theory based health promotion planning, monitoring, evaluation and re-planning; 2) health literacy assessment and applications for the promotion of oral health; 3) community-wide intervention and empowerment; 4) lessons learned from Mai Kin Wan Network (a coalition to promote the reduction of sugar consumption in Thailand) and actions of Thai Health (a special non-government sin-tax fund advocating for health and quality of life). In addition a six-week field practice after the workshop could be granted in one of certified community hospitals in the rural areas of Thailand. The practicum will be co-supervised by experienced local dental professionals and faculty members of Thammasat University School of Dentistry.

For Khon Kean University, the community dentistry group led by Dr Waranuch Pitiphat is willing to accept Niigata University PhD students in global oral Health Sciences for few weeks.

Comment:

How could experience gain from attending the workshop could benefit or apply to the PhD program at Niigata University?
The same 5-day-course should be offered to all of the PhD candidates in order to expand their knowledge in conducting clinical research in oral health. The course should be organised as an continuing education course for all dentists who wish to conduct a clinical research in oral health which allows the PhD candidates to attend at the same time.

Collaboration with Thammasat University and Khon Kaen University in the extramural externship for PhD students should be trialled in the new future in order to prepare for the new PhD curriculum in Global Oral Health Sciences.