5 big ideas
Posted: September 12, 2012
Shining the spotlight on ATSU’s thriving research community
ASDOH | The digital age
Last year, Robert MacArthur, D4, spent six weeks conducting research in the Department of Restorative Dentistry & Biomaterials Science at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine under the tutelage of Drs. German Gallucci and Sang Lee. This spring, his research on digital impressions gave him the win at ASDOH’s student research day. MacArthur is also working on his MPH and just completed a summer internship on the Caries Free Communities Initiative at the Pan American Health Organization.
Why is your research important?
Digital impressions provide several benefits to patients and practitioners, including a more pleasant patient experience, 3-D visualization of the tooth, potential cost and time effectiveness, and less waste production. My research compared the efficiency of a digital, 3-D impression process (using an intraoral camera) to that of the conventional method (using a putty-like material). Preparation time, working time, retake time, total time, and the number of retakes were analyzed.
What do you hope to achieve?
Results yielded the digital model to be more efficient over the standard, conventional impression technique; these findings validate the clinical relevance of the digital system. The digital approach saves considerable time and resources that benefit both the dental practitioner and the patient.
What is the next big idea?
In my opinion, translating the digital concept of impression-taking into complete denture development is the next big idea. Scanning an edentulous area in a patient’s mouth and virtually placing teeth on a digital model sent for fabrication completely defies current methodology for denture prosthetic fabrication.
ASHS | Fever pitch
Doctor of health sciences student Kyrus Patch, MS, PA-C, takes the temperature of dengue fever, a potentially fatal disease thought only to affect Southeast Asia, South America, India, and the Caribbean. Patch is associate department chair of the PA program at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Myers, Fla. Her work on the subject was published in the March 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Why is your research important?
In 2009-10, an outbreak of dengue was reported in Key West, Fla. All cases had no ties to recent travel and were considered locallyacquired. This information is vital to alerting practitioners to the possibility of dengue in their patient population and that patients presenting with fever and flu-like symptoms should be questioned about recent travel and mosquito bites (dengue is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito). Rapid recognition leads to effective treatment, a significant reduction in mortality, and better mosquito control by local agencies.
Most important scientific achievement of the past five years?
Most significant is the continuing work on a vaccine. To date, this has not been successful as there are four types of dengue lending more difficulty to the process. Vaccine research, however, is an ongoing process and looks promising.
What is the next big idea?
Next is the successful implementation of a usable vaccine, and there has been some interesting ongoing experimentation with using genetically-altered mosquitoes released in the Caribbean. These mosquitoes will hopefully help eliminate dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
KCOM | Head games
P. Gunnar Brolinson, DO, ’83, FAOASM, FAAFP, FACOFP, is sports medicine chair and associate dean for clinical research at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is also head team physician for Virginia Tech Hokies football, as well as the U.S. Olympic Ski Team. Dr. Brolinson’s study on traumatic brain injuries (TBI) has garnered national attention.
Why is your research important?
TBIs are responsible for an estimated 50,000 to 75,000 deaths in the United States each year, with an additional 1.5 million suffering from various severities of head injuries. There is much debate on what biomechanical parameters induce TBI. Our previous research collected biomechanical data to characterize brain injury in high school and collegiate athletes, who are at high risk for concussive injury. This past season we also instrumented the helmets of youth football players with a sensor capable of measuring the linear and angular acceleration that the head experiences with every impact. By collecting data from injurious and non-injurious head impacts in both practices and games, insight about thresholds and brain injury mechanisms were discovered.
How has your study made an impact?
There are 3.5 million youth football players in this country, and they are the most poorly studied of athletes participating in helmeted sports activities. In contrast, there are 1.3 million high school players and 100,000 collegiate players. This research allows for better characterization of head impacts, which may lead to improved helmet design, as well as rule changes to protect young athletes. Based in part on our research, significant rule changes have been implemented in Pop Warner Football for the upcoming season.
SOMA | Curriculum innovation
An advanced approach to medical education, the Clinical Presentation Curriculum (CPC) teaches medicine by focusing on how patients present themselves for care. Research on the subject bySOMA Associate Dean Frederic Schwartz, DO, ’69; Associate Chair Mara Hover, DO; Curriculum Specialist Lise Mc- Coy, MTESL; and Data Manager Marjorie Buick-Kinney, BA, was published in the July 2012 edition of Medical Science Educator by the International Association of Medical Science Educators.
Why is your research important?
We surveyed medical student and faculty impressions regarding SOMA’s CPC and contextual learning at Community Health Centers (CHCs) to investigate how this model was working. We wondered if students and faculty felt sending students to community campuses for mentorship and training in years two through four was an effective educational approach.
Most important scientific achievement of the past five years?
The CPC model was fully implemented at five medical schools: SOMA, University of Calgary, Kansas City University, Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech, and Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. SOMA just completed its fifth year of successfully implementing early clinical experiences at community campuses. The partnership between SOMA and the National Association of Community Health Centers provides contextual learning experiences that will induce new graduate physicians to care for the medically underserved.
What is the next big idea?
Next is to articulate and disseminate the model to the general public and other healthcare schools interested in advancing their own curricula. For this reason, ATSU launched a new organization called the Clinical Presentation Curriculum Learning and Research (CLEAR) community. The first international meeting was held on the Arizona campus in June. When schools using this model join forces, we can collaborate on projects to benefit all our students.
SHM | Herd immunity
David Line Denali, PhD, MPH, MSW, assistant professor, MPH program, and Caya Muranaka, MPH, ’12, tested a health education presentation intended to increase vaccination rates at the National Rural Health Association Conference and at Arizona clinics.
Why is your research important?
We hope to determine if increasing an awareness of herd immunity increases vaccinations rates. Should it be determined that herd immunity does in fact influence one’s decision regarding vaccinations, then it would be appropriate to further educate the general public about the concept in an effort to increase vaccination coverage.
Most important scientific achievement of the past five years?
We have seen significant success of vaccinations in terms of decreased hospitalizations and healthcarerelated costs, as well as a decrease in deaths due to vaccine preventable diseases. However, what is most important is the negative impact of junk science and popular media on the topic. Vaccine misinformation negatively impacts vaccination uptake. While misinformation has linked vaccines with diseases that have no known cause, current evidence does not support such associations. Despite the lack of evidence linking vaccinations to adverse events, media coverage has created a lack of trust in vaccine safety.
What is the next big idea?
If we can surge the connection of volunteerism and getting vaccinations, then we can use the civil consciousness to increase vaccination rates. Further, we can make a compelling argument in public service announcements that getting vaccinations helps increase the health status of the community due to the fact that vaccine preventable diseases are spread personto- person.