The objectives of this proposal are (1) to establish, evaluate and disseminate the results of a comprehensive program that will strengthen the role of science at all levels of the curriculum at the UTHSCSA Dental School and (2) to translate current scientific findings into clinical practice. The approach employs collaboration of students, faculty and dental practitioners in the preparation of Critically Appraised Topics (CATs) and the development of a searchable online library of high quality (i.e., informative CATs). A key component of our CATs initiative is the involvement of clinical, basic and behavioral science faculty, dental advanced education residents and private practice dentists in the supervision and review of CATs prepared by our dental students. This involvement provides a mechanism to inform faculty, residents and practicing dentists of recent scientific discoveries and the best clinical research on issues of high clinical relevance. The program includes a formal faculty development program on evidence-based practice, which will emphasize the preparation and use of CATs. The program will be coordinated with the school's well-established, NIDCR funded, Institutional Research Training Program (T32) with the aim of enhancing interest in dental research and increasing the flow of students into these programs and leading into academic careers in the oral sciences. We hypothesize that this comprehensive, school-wide collaboration among students, faculty and practicing dentists in the preparation and review of CATs will strengthen skills associated with critical appraisal of the literature and foster the more rapid integration of research findings in both the dental school curriculum and private dental practice. A comprehensive outcomes assessment plan of the project's five specific aims will determine if the hypothesis is viable. The long-range plan is to make the searchable CATs Library available to all practicing dentists. In the future, the CATs Library will be open to the public. These long-range plans will help resolve the problem of science transfer and dissemination.
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