Evidence-Based Dentistry Champion Conference Project Summary: The goal of this project is to improve quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of dental care through implementation of Evidence-Based Dentistry (EBD). This will be accomplished through an EBD Champion Conference by recruiting dental team members to become Evidence-Based Dentistry Champions who will learn how to implement EBD into practice and disseminate this information to their colleagues. This proposal seeks support to: 1) Recruit up to 100 dentists and dental hygienists throughout the U.S. to become Evidence-Based Dentistry Champions;2) Convene an Evidence-Based Dentistry Champion Conference;and 3) Evaluate the effectiveness of the conference by measuring changes in knowledge, attitudes and self-reported behavior as well as gathering information on dissemination strategies. The proposed EBD Champion Conference will be held at the ADA headquarters in Chicago, IL. Participants will be recruited through a voluntary application process. Champions will include individuals in private practice, public health, education, research and other fields. Participant selection will ensure diversity among practice settings, geographical regions and ability to influence the care of a diverse group of patients. ADA membership will not be a selection criteria. Priority will be given to dentists and dental hygienists who treat underserved populations. Conference presentations will be recorded and made publicly available through the ADA's EBD website, http://ebd.ada.org (Grant Number G08 LM008956). This proposed project would meet two AHRQ conference objectives: 1) dissemination and implementation conferences and 2) research training, infrastructure and career development. On a broader scale, it also clearly fits within AHRQ's mission """"""""to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.1"""""""" The American Dental Association is committed to Evidence-Based Dentistry and launched the EBD Champion program in 2008. This program has been very successful in recruiting members of the dental team, affecting changes in knowledge, attitudes and self-reported behavior, and resulting in dissemination to a broad audience. The ADA has world-class conference facilities, evaluation resources, staff time and dissemination capabilities that will be dedicated to this project.
The Evidence-Based Champion Conference will train up to 100 dentists and dental hygienists, with priority given to those who treat underserved populations, to become Evidence-Based Dentistry Champions. Participant selection will ensure diversity among practice settings, geographical regions and ability to influence the care of a diverse group of patients. ADA membership will not be a selection criteria. The Champions will implement EBD in education, private practice, public health or other fields, and disseminate their learning to colleagues through a variety of mechanisms.
