The Office of Dental Informatics and Digital Health (ODIDH) was established in January 2023 to provide clinical technology services to Indiana University School of Dentistry faculty, staff, and students. Our goal is to enhance clinical technical support and lead the digital transformation process at Indiana University School of Dentistry. ODIDH staff provides comprehensive support of clinical IT systems and facilitates new software acquisition and implementation. In addition, ODIDH assists researchers and faculty with generating insights from clinical data to answer their research/quality improvement questions from inception to clinical practice. Our team will also help identify and execute the necessary agreements and safe storage options to ensure patient privacy and compliance of IRB protocols. ODIDH leads the Technology Review Committee to enhance IUSD’s clinical technology strategy, review significant technology expenses, providing technology acquisition recommendations, and address information security questions.
Dental Informatics and Digital Health
Contact us
- Director: Dr. Thankam Thyvalikakath
1140 W Michigan St
Indianapolis, IN 46202
- Email: dentinfo@iu.edu
- Phone: 317-274-1049
Mission
The IUSD Dental Informatics & Digital Health office, through a collaborative team approach, will become a leading global presence in support of dental education, research and service endeavors. This effort will be achieved by providing accurate and complete information, enabling people to have better oral health and quality of life by translating the best evidence into care settings.
Goals
Overarching Goal: establish an office that applies informatics approaches to improve patient care processes and outcomes through research, teaching, and services.
Goal 1: establish an information technology infrastructure that integrates data from all data sources.
Goal 2: improve data capture and monitor data quality.
Goal 3: provide data in an analyzable format for research, education, and administrative purposes.
Goal 4: support IUSD’s transition to person-centered care
Our Research
- Leveraging Electronic Dental Record (EDR) data for clinical research from private practices: NDPBRN U grant/NIDCR2015-2019 ($1.17 million).Role: Study PI (Thyvalikakath T)
- Assessing denture wearers nutritional status Glaxo Smith Kline 2020-2021 ($105,000)Role: PI (Thyvalikakath T).
- Randomized controlled trial of a tobacco-cessation counseling tool: NIDCR 2016-2020 ($320,000).Role: Site PI: (Romito L) Co-investigator (Thyvalikakath T)
- Assessing the oral health and dental treatment outcomes of Sjögren's Syndrome patients: NIDCR R21 Grant 2019-2023($435,000). Role: PI (Thyvalikakath T)
- Evaluation of the oral health and dental treatment outcomes of Sjögren's Syndrome patients: NIDCR R56 Grant 2020-2023( $549,000).Role: PI (Thyvalikakath T)
- Development and evaluation of patient medical summary from health information exchange to improve dental care: NIDCR R01 grant 2022- 2026 ($2.4 million).Role: PI (Thyvalikakath T) Co-I: Felix-Gomez GG; Key personnel: Li, S
- Assessing malnutrition risk screening tool in dental settings: Delta Dental Foundation grant 2022-2023 ($75,000).Role: PI: (Felix Gomez GG) Mentor: (Thyvalikakath T)
- Development and evaluation of the SCALED (scaling acceptable CDs) universal guidebook for the implementation of interoperable CDS for VTE prevention, AHRQ R18 grant 2022-2027 (IU: $180,000).Role: site-PI (Thyvalikakath T) PI: Tignanelli C/Melton-Meaux G, University of Minnesota, separate Regenstrief and IU subawards
- Implementing health information exchange access in dental practices: Delta Dental Foundation grant 2023-2024 ($49,000).Role: PI: (LI S)
- Establishment of predictive value and prognostic potential of oral manifestations of the severity of COVID-19 and post-acute sequalae of COVID-19Delta Dental Foundation grant 2023-2024 ($74,000)Role Co-I: (Thyvalikakath T)
- Establishing dental professionals’ readiness for practice-based research and interprofessional care, U01 PRIMED ($5.8 million) JIT
- R01 grant (Nov 2021): Real-world long-term osteoporosis treatment outcomes in large clinical cohorts.Role: Co-I (Thyvalikakath T) Not funded
- IU CTSI KL2 grant (Jan 2022): Feasibility of screening denture wearers’ risk for malnutrition. Role:PI (Felix Gomez GG) Not funded
- K23 grant (first submission: Feb 2022) : Developing a framework for implementing a malnutrition screening tool in dental settings.Role: PI (Felix Gomez GG) Not funded
- U01 PRIMED grant (December 2022): Establishing Readiness of Dental Professionals in Practice-Based Research and Inter-Professional Care.Role: Contact-MPI (Thyvalikakath T) co-PIs: Bruzzaniti A, Srinivasan M); co-I; Felix Gomez GG. Impact score: 24
- K23 grant (second submission: March 2023) : Developing a framework for implementing a malnutrition screening tool in dental settings.Role: PI (Felix Gomez GG). Impact score: 37
- Phenotyping clinical presentations of patients with juvenile Sjögren’s Disease in community practices and establishing a diagnostic criteria. (R01 grant) PI: Felix Gomez GG
- Implementation and evaluation of patient medical summary from a health information exchange in dental practices. (R01 grant) PI: Li S
- Implementation and evaluation of a modified malnutrition screening tool in dental settings. (R01 grant) Multi- PI: Felix Gomez GG, Li S
Support forms
Clinical Data Request Form
Use this form to submit a clinical data request or feasibility request.
Continue to formDentiDesk - Clinical Systems Help Desk
Use this form to contact our Clinical IT Systems support team.
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