Evidence-Based Research Workshop Held at GSDM
An ADA Evidence-Based Review (AER) workshop was held at the Dental School on June 2 and 3. The AER program is a unique opportunity which allows interested individuals to be trained in the concepts of scientific methods in dental research and study designs by the 13-15 members of the ADA Critical Review Panel (CRP). GSDM Associate Professor Dr. Paul Farsai has been a member of the CRP since 2009. CRP members collaborate online using the ADA EBD web portal to write critical summaries of a specific type of study design called systematic reviews.
Said Dr. Farsai, “These systematic reviews represent the best available evidence on the review topic and the critical summary is a very concise and easy to read synopsis of the available evidence.”
Individuals who train in the AER workshops—like the one held at GSDM—are then paired up with CRP members who will serve as mentors while they write five critical summaries of their choosing in the two years following the workshop.
Professor and Chair of General Dentistry Dr. Judith Jones advocated for the workshop to be held at the Dental School, as it provided a great opportunity for GSDM faculty to get involved. Drs. Negar Nasseripour, Bing Liu, and Thomas Hawley participated in the workshop and will now work with their CRP mentors to write critical summaries. Drs. Yanling Chiang and Anita Gohel have also been accepted into the AER workshop program, but were not able to attend this particular training. In addition to being an excellent source of professional development for faculty, this program also gives them a chance to be published, as some critical summaries may be included in an issue of the Journal of American Dental Association.
Dean Hutter joined the beginning of the workshop to welcome the participants. He provided a historical perspective on the evolution of evidence-based dentistry in the American Dental Association. Addressing this group was particularly important to him, as he served as a driving force behind the establishment of the ADA’s Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry.
Dr. Farsai added, “Without Dean Hutter’s early work and advocacy for the Center, these valuable workshops would not have been possible.”
Dr. Farsai went on to describe the outcome of this workshop saying, “This was a huge success based on the level of engagement demonstrated throughout the two day program. Afterward, the participants expressed that they felt the workshop was a very good vehicle to demonstrate to our students and residents that our own faculty practice what they preach in expanding their own critical thinking skills through further involvement with the ADA Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry.”
Added Dean Hutter, “The success of this workshop is truly a credit to Dr. Paul Farsai’s organizational ability and to his passion for evidence-based dentistry. I commend him on a job well done.”
Dr. Farsai would also like to thank the following: The Center’s Director, Dr. Julie Frantsve-Hawley; the CRP instructors, Drs. Jim Bader and Debora Matthews; and Ms. Lindsay Corrigan and Ms. Brenda Hughes for assistance organizing the meeting.
Photos are available on facebook and flickr .