Introduction to Oral Health Research

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:1.00

Study Course Accepted:11.04.2023 09:16:42

Study Course Information
Course Code:		ZTMVK_079		LQF level:		All Levels
Credit Points:		2.00		ECTS:		3.00
Branch of Science:		Clinical Medicine; Oral Medicine		Target Audience:		Dentistry
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Ilze Maldupa
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		Department of Conservative Dentistry and Oral Health
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Riga, 20 Dzirciema Street, zhsrsu[pnkts]lv, +371 67455560
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		6	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		12
Classes (count)		10	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		20
Total Contact Hours								32
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
Biostatistics, Fundamentals of Cariology, Oral Health Promotion in Clinical and Population Settings
Objective:
The objective of this study course is to furnish students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to effectively identify, analyze, and solve clinical questions through scientific methods. Through this course, students will gain a thorough understanding of evidence-based dentistry, study designs, research methodology, and ethics. They will learn the principles of critically appraising scientific literature, including how to evaluate the quality of research publications and effectively communicate their findings. Furthermore, students will develop the ability to perform research tasks, including designing research protocols, collecting and analyzing data, and writing manuscripts. By the end of the course, students will be able to conduct research using scientific methods under the guidance of experienced researchers.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Use of Pubmed in searching research papers			Classes		1.00	E-Studies platform
2	Use of Pubmed in searching research papers			Classes		1.00	E-Studies platform
3	Evidence-based medical resource databases			Classes		1.00	E-Studies platform
4	Introduction to research methods in medicine and dentistry; Study designs			Lectures		1.00	E-Studies platform
5	A search of medical information for patients and for professionals			Lectures		1.00	E-Studies platform
6	Ethics in biomedical research			Lectures		1.00	E-Studies platform
7	How to plan a study? Designing a study protocol			Lectures		1.00	E-Studies platform
8	How to write a research paper?			Lectures		1.00	E-Studies platform
9	How to present the results of a research at a scientific conference?			Lectures		1.00	E-Studies platform
10	Preparing a critical appraisal of a scientific article			Classes		1.00	E-Studies platform
11	Presentation of critical analysis of a scientific article			Classes		1.00	auditorium
12	Designing a study protocol			Classes		1.00	E-Studies platform
13	Presentations of research protocols			Classes		1.00	auditorium
14	Writing a scientific publication			Classes		1.00	E-Studies platform
15	Reviewing a scientific publication			Classes		1.00	E-Studies platform
16	Presentation of a research results			Classes		1.00	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
Students will engage in four collaborative group projects designed to enhance their critical thinking and research skills: 1. Information Retrieval and Appraisal: Students will select a topic, apply predefined criteria to search and evaluate relevant information, and present their findings along with the search process. 2. Research Protocol Development: Students will prepare a research protocol for a provided research example, outlining the research design, methods, and ethical considerations, and deliver a presentation on their protocol. 3. Scientific Publication: Students will present their research results in a scientific publication for the provided research example, demonstrating their ability to communicate research findings effectively. 4. Peer Review: Students will review and provide constructive feedback on the work of their group members, promoting critical evaluation and improvement of research projects. 5. Research Presentation: Students will prepare and deliver a research presentation for a given research example, showcasing their ability to synthesize and present complex information coherently and engagingly.
Assessment Criteria:
Students' performance in all five tasks will be evaluated based on a comprehensive rubric prepared in advance. The rubric will encompass various criteria, such as the quality of research, critical thinking, presentation skills, and adherence to ethical standards. Each of the five assignments will carry equal weightage and account for 20% of the total course grade, ensuring a fair and balanced assessment of the students' overall performance. The rubric will provide clear guidelines for assessment, promoting transparency and consistency in evaluating the students' work.
Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam
Final Examination (Part-Time):
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		Recognize the principles of the scientific method; Identify successes and problems of medical science today; Recognize the concept of Evidence-Based Medicine; Identify basic clinical-epidemiological research design; Identify basic research questions; Differentiate sites with information for patients or professionals; Identify biomedical search engines for published articles; Identify the ethical principles of medical research; Identify the ethical regulations guiding medical research; Recognize major ethical issues in research.
Skills:		The student will be able to: Perform a search for medical information on the internet and validate it; Perform a search for medical research on selected search engines; Apply criteria for validating medical information on the Internet.
Competencies:		This introductory medical research course provides the competencies that allow the student to recognize the role of research in clinical practice and the basic skills for the search and critical evaluation of medical information.
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	Richards D. Evidence-based Dentistry: Managing Information for Better Practice. Quintessence Pub., 2008.
2	Schulz K, Grimes DA. Essential Concepts in Clinical Research: Randomised Controlled Trials and Observational Epidemiology. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2018.
3	Moher D, Altman D, Schulz K, et al. Guidelines for Reporting Health Research: A User’s Manual. Wiley, 2014.
4	Carrasco-Labra A, Brignardello-Petersen R, Glick M, et al. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: VII: How to use patient management recommendations from clinical practice guidelines. The Journal of the American Dental Association 2015; 146: 327–336.e1.
5	Carrasco-Labra A, Brignardello-Petersen R, Glick M, et al. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: VI: How to use a systematic review. The Journal of the American Dental Association 2015; 146: 255–265.e1.
6	Carrasco-Labra A, Brignardello-Petersen R, Azarpazhooh A, et al. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: X: How to avoid being misled by clinical studies’ results in dentistry. The Journal of the American Dental Association 2015; 146: 919–924.
7	Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Glick M, et al. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: III: How to appraise and use an article about therapy. The Journal of the American Dental Association 2015; 146: 42–49.e1.
8	Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Glick M, et al. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: V: How to appraise and use an article about diagnosis. The Journal of the American Dental Association 2015; 146: 184–191.e1.
9	Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Glick M, et al. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: understanding and applying the principles of EBD. J Am Dent Assoc 2014; 145: 1105–1107.
10	Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Booth HA, et al. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: How to search for evidence to inform clinical decisions. J Am Dent Assoc 2014; 145: 1262–1267.
11	Richards D, Lawrence A. Evidence based dentistry. Br Dent J. 1995 Oct 7;179(7):270–3.
12	Maldupa I, Uribe S. Ko nozīmē uz pierādījumiem balstīta zobārstniecība? Zobārstniecības raksti. 2014; (1):35–41.
13	Grimes DA, Schulz KF. An overview of clinical research: the lay of the land. Lancet. 2002 Jan 5;359(9300):57–61.