Sir, Trainee research collaboratives are a novel way to carry out research at scale, harnessing the enthusiasm of trainee clinicians. The idea is simple: use trainees' exposure in practice to increase sample sizes for research purposes. Currently, numerous successful trainee research collaborations have been developed within medical specialties in the UK. The concept could be translated to dental research. Key advantages for trainees include development of research skills, and the ability to contribute to large, potentially impactful studies even when rotating through temporary posts.
Trainee research collaboratives (TRCs) are groups run primarily by trainees that undertake patient-based projects at scale.1 These projects may be audits, observational studies or interventional studies such as randomised controlled trials.2 While the concept of trainee research collaboratives has existed for decades, they have proved particularly popular in UK surgical specialties in the last seven years.3 No trainee collaborative for dentistry exists.
TRCs would facilitate dental trainee involvement in large, impactful projects, overcoming barriers of short, rotational posts. Since dental trainees work throughout the country, there would be the opportunity to capture data at a regional or national level, increasing sample sizes for studies, ensuring that studies have adequate power. Data collection from multiple centres is also advantageous because of recruitment from heterogenous populations and practice settings.4,5 Over time, we hope TRCs would develop to encompass dental core trainees in various fields of dentistry including specialities such as orthodontics where sample size is particularly problematic. TRCs would also give dentists the opportunity to develop research skills, acting as a stepping stone to further academic work.
References
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Bhangu A, Kolias A G, Pinkney T et al. Surgical research collaboratives in the UK. Lancet 2013; 382: 1091–1092.
Jamjoom A A B, Phan P N H, Hutchinson P J, Kolias A G . Surgical trainee research collaboratives in the UK: an observational study of research activity and publication productivity. BMJ Open 2016; 6: e010374.
Pinkney T D, Calvert M, Bartlett D C, et al., on behalf of the West Midlands Research Collaborative and the ROSSINI Trial Investigators. Impact of wound edge protection devices on surgical site infection after laparotomy: multicentre randomised controlled trial (ROSSINI Trial). BMJ 2013; 347: f4305. 10.1136/bmj.f4305
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Budhdeo, R., Mirza, T. & Budhdeo, S. Dental research: Trainee collaborations. Br Dent J 222, 408 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2017.251
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2017.251