Ongoing Projects

Lead: Dr Darja Gostilo

Project Overview & Public Summary

Managing tooth decay in children often involves financial and personal costs that go far beyond standard clinic fees—including private practice expenses, travel, missed workdays, and family stress. This cross-sectional study aims to map out the true direct, indirect, and intangible economic burden experienced by families and caregivers of children under 18 across Latvia, helping provide a realistic picture of the resources required for paediatric oral healthcare. 

Key Objectives & Policy Impact

• Quantify Out-of-Pocket Expenses: Measure direct medical and non-medical costs (such as travel and accommodation) incurred during dental visits
• Measure Productivity & Time Losses: Assess parental work absenteeism and school days missed by children
• Assess Intangible Costs: Evaluate quality-adjusted life year (QALY) impacts associated with childhood dental disease
• Inform National Policy: Provide the Latvian National Health Service and Ministry of Health with robust data to support equitable financial protection mechanisms and targeted preventive policies

Research Methodology & Capabilities

• Study Design: A structured, cross-sectional survey-based study utilizing purposive sampling to ensure representation across public and private sectors, urban and rural areas, and diverse socioeconomic groups
• Data Collection Tools: Custom questionnaires developed via systematic literature reviews, validated through a Delphi consensus process with paediatric dentists and health economists, and pilot-tested for feasibility
• Analytical Techniques: Multivariate linear and logistic regression modeling to identify high-cost determinants, alongside rigorous sensitivity and scenario analyses to simulate policy interventions

Target Population & Public Participation (Call to Action)

• Target Group: Parents or primary caregivers of children under 18 who have accessed dental care for their child within the past 12 months
• How to Participate: Are you a parent or caregiver in Latvia? Your insights are vital to improving future dental care support

Take the Caregiver Survey*

^{* Takes 5–7 minutes | Completely Anonymous}

Group Capacity & Institutional Rigor 

• Ethical Oversight: Conducted under strict approval from the RSU Ethics Committee, ensuring full compliance with GDPR and participant data protection
• Accessibility: Administered via a secure digital platform with telephone interview options available for participants requiring language or digital assistance. All identifiable data is securely managed and purged post-study

Publications, Team & Related Outputs

• Project Timeline: 12-month research cycle spanning instrument finalization, pilot testing, multi-channel recruitment, and dissemination
• Expected Outputs: National policy briefings, peer-reviewed open-access journal publications in health economics and public health, and simplified public summaries

Lead: Ms Xenia Teplitzky 

Project Overview & Public Summary

Tooth decay (dental caries) is a dynamic disease that progresses through various stages over time. This study estimates the transition probabilities between distinct dental caries health states in Latvian children using retrospective data sourced from major referral dental hospitals. By mapping how quickly and under what conditions caries advances, the project establishes a robust foundation for health economic evaluations and policy simulations. 

Key Objectives & Policy Impact

• Model Disease Progression: Track transitions across specific dental caries health states using longitudinal data
• Optimize Resource Allocation: Inform health economic models and cost-effectiveness analyses for public health decision-makers
• Guide Preventive Strategy: Provide evidence to help the Latvian National Health Service shift funding toward early-stage interventions rather than costly restorative treatments
• Regional Framework: Establish a reproducible modeling framework adaptable across the Baltic region and other resource-limited epidemiological settings

Research Methodology & Capabilities

• Study Design: Retrospective longitudinal cohort analysis utilizing patient data collected between 2018 and 2025
• Modeling Techniques: Continuous-time Markov modeling to simulate disease paths and estimate transition probability matrices
• Validation & Robustness: Health states validated via expert clinical consensus, paired with sensitivity analyses across demographic variables such as age, sex, and urban/rural residence

Target Population & Public Participation

• Data Scope: Anonymized longitudinal clinical records of paediatric dental patients treated at major referral centers in Latvia
• Public Relevance: While relying on retrospective clinical records rather than active public surveys, the insights generated directly benefit public health planning for all Latvian children

Group Capacity & Institutional Rigor

• Clinical Collaboration: Executed through close integration between RSU researchers and clinical experts at university dental facilities
• Data Security: Approved by RSU Ethics committee, strict adherence to institutional data governance standards, utilizing fully anonymized datasets to safeguard patient privacy

Publications, Team & Related Outputs

• Core Documentation: Built upon foundational work titled "Estimating Transition Probabilities Across Dental Caries Health States in Latvian Children: A Foundation for Economic and Policy Modelling"
• Related Outputs: Peer-reviewed publications and health economic modeling frameworks intended for international dissemination

Lead: Aurēlija Ušacova

Project Overview & Public Summary

Quantitative numbers only tell part of the story when evaluating children's oral health. This qualitative research initiative engages key stakeholders—including paediatric dentists, healthcare advocates, policymakers, and families—to explore the lived experience, emotional toll, and societal burden caused by preventable dental caries in Latvian children.

Key Objectives & Policy Impact

• Uncover Lived Realities: Capture qualitative insights regarding the barriers families face in accessing timely preventive dental care
• Synthesize Stakeholder Perspectives: Document expert viewpoints from clinicians and community leaders on managing severe, preventable childhood dental conditions
• Inform Human-Centric Policies: Translate qualitative findings into recommendations that address the emotional and logistical hurdles of paediatric dental care

Research Methodology & Capabilities

• Study Design: Qualitative research framework utilizing semi-structured interviews and stakeholder focus groups
• Analytical Techniques: Thematic analysis to identify core recurring patterns, systemic bottlenecks, and socio-environmental barriers to care
• Interdisciplinary Synthesis: Combining qualitative stakeholder feedback with quantitative epidemiological metrics from concurrent OHR studies

Target Population & Public Participation

• Target Group: Paediatric dental professionals, healthcare policymakers, community advocates, and parents affected by advanced dental care challenges
• Engagement: Invitation-based stakeholder sessions and collaborative workshops coordinated through the RSU Oral Health Research Group

Group Capacity & Institutional Rigor

• Qualitative Rigor: Adherence to established qualitative research guidelines (such as COREQ) to ensure transparency, reflexivity, and analytical depth
• Ethical Compliance: In preparation to be submitted under RSU Ethics Committee approval with informed consent and strict confidentiality protocols for all interview participants

Publications, Team & Related Outputs

• Expected Outputs: Qualitative research papers submitted to high-impact dental public health journals, policy briefs, and stakeholder seminar presentations

Lead: Dr Taka Tanabe

Project Overview & Public Summary

Family doctors (ģimenes ārsti) and primary healthcare teams are often the very first medical professionals to interact with young children and their parents. This research project explores and evaluates strategies for integrating oral health risk assessments and preventive dental counseling directly into routine primary medical care visits across Latvia.

Key Objectives & Policy Impact

• Evaluate Primary Care Interventions: Assess the feasibility and effectiveness of training family physicians to screen for early signs of childhood tooth decay
• Bridge Medical and Dental Sectors: Build collaborative pathways between general medical practice and paediatric dentistry
• Promote Early Prevention: Enable proactive oral health education during routine infant and toddler check-ups before clinical decay occurs

Research Methodology & Capabilities

• Study Design: Mixed-methods approach combining comprehensive systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and cross-sectional surveys targeting primary care providers
• Data Collection: Surveys and structured evaluations assessing current knowledge, attitudes, practices, and structural barriers among general practitioners regarding oral health promotion
• Evidence Synthesis: Rigorous literature aggregation following international systematic review standards

Target Population & Public Participation

• Target Group: General practitioners (ģimenes ārsti), primary healthcare nurses, and primary care clinic administrators in Latvia
• Engagement: Professional surveys and collaborative roundtable discussions with primary care networks

Group Capacity & Institutional Rigor

• Methodological Expertise: Backed by OHR’s strong track record in conducting systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and health professional surveys
• Institutional Support: Developed in coordination with academic and clinical departments at RSU

Publications, Team & Related Outputs

• Expected Outputs: Systematic review publications in peer-reviewed journals, primary care practice recommendations, and collaborative training frameworks for family physicians