World Workshop on Oral Medicine VIII: Barriers to research in oral medicine: results from a global survey

Suhail H Al-Amad; Maria Bankvall; Mercy Okoh; Derek K Smith; Alexander R Kerr; Thomas P Sollecito; Douglas E Peterson; Sharon Elad; Saman Warnakulasuriya; Martin S Greenberg; Arwa M Farag; Luiz Alcino Gueiros; Caroline H Shiboski

doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2023.06.013

World Workshop on Oral Medicine VIII: Barriers to research in oral medicine: results from a global survey

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2023 Nov;136(5):584-594. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2023.06.013. Epub 2023 Jul 14.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences. College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: Salamad@sharjah.ac.ae.
² Division of Oral Diagnostics and Rehabilitation, Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
³ Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Medicine Department, School of Dentistry, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
⁴ Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
⁵ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA.
⁶ Department of Oral Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁷ Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA.
⁸ Division of Oral Medicine, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
⁹ King's College London, London, UK.
¹⁰ Division of Oral Medicine, Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, King AbdulAziz University Faculty of Dentistry, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Clinical and Preventive Dentistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil.
¹² Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.

PMID: 37574377
DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2023.06.013

Abstract

Objectives: To explore factors influencing research interest and productivity and perceived barriers to conducting research in Oral Medicine (OM).

Methods: Invitations to participate in an online survey were e-mailed to a network of international OM practitioners and related professional organizations. Questions captured respondents' demographic/professional variables and gauged research interest, productivity, and perceived barriers to conducting research specifically in OM. Statistical analysis was conducted via descriptive, logistic regression, and multivariate modeling.

Results: Five hundred and ninety-three OM practitioners from 55 countries completed the survey, with 54%, 25%, and 21% practicing in high, upper-middle, and lower-middle-income countries, respectively. Eighty-six percent of respondents were interested in conducting research. Age (less interest with an increase in age), working in academia, and practicing in a lower-middle vs high-income country were significant predictors of research interest. Self-reported research productivity was significantly greater among males, those working in academia, and those who graduated from programs that mandated research presentation/publication. Obtaining research funding was a significant barrier among respondents from lower and upper-middle-income countries, whereas finding time for research was a reported barrier by respondents from high-income countries.

Conclusion: The results of this survey identified perceived barriers to conducting research in OM and highlighted solutions to address such barriers.

MeSH terms

Humans
Male
Oral Medicine*
Self Report
Surveys and Questionnaires