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| LETTER TO EDITOR |
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| Year : 2022 | Volume
: 20
| Issue : 2 | Page : 212-213 |
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Digital connect
Pradnya V Kakodkar1, Shrikrishna Dhale2, Pushpanjali Krishnappa3
1 Health Sciences, SCRI Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, Maharashtra, India
2 MBA (Hospital and Healthcare Management), SIHS, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, Maharashtra, India
3 Department of Public Health Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, M S Ramaiah University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| Date of Submission | 29-Jan-2021 |
| Date of Acceptance | 29-Mar-2022 |
| Date of Web Publication | 8-Jun-2022 |
Correspondence Address:
Pradnya V Kakodkar
SCRI, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, Maharashtra
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_25_22
How to cite this article:
Kakodkar PV, Dhale S, Krishnappa P. Digital connect. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent 2022;20:212-3 |
Dear Editor,
This letter is in response to the inspirational taglines published in the Presidents' (Learning Together to Work Together for Better Health)[1] and Hon. secretary's message (Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much)[2] in JIAPHD.
COVID-19 pandemic caused human devastation while bringing about seven times more digital advancement than expected in 2020–2021. Today, the world is digitally connected, and hence, it is very much possible for all to do the same thing at the same time globally.
“Digital connect” could be the buzzword. Digital connect means “adapting to the digital technology and connecting to learn.”
During the pandemic period 2020–21, IAPHD commenced educative initiatives such as webinars delivered by national and international speakers. It helped the postgraduate students and faculty enhance their knowledge from their homes without letting the learning tempo decelerate.
As against this background of digital connect, the authors wish to propose some ideas for consideration by IAPHD:
- Online seminar presentation by postgraduate students for postgraduate students
Important topics can be presented as a seminar by the postgraduate student through the IAPHD platform, which all the postgraduate students can attend. An expert faculty in the field can moderate this presentation. Every college can participate in this planned yearlong online seminar event by turns. One could also share information about the geographical variation in the oral health and disease status of the particular state, area-specific preventive programs undertaken, and any new learning strategy followed in a specific college across India on this common platform. This activity on the common platform will help initiate a connection across India's length and breadth and globally. The teaching–learning happening locally can go global and benefit a large mass. There is no physical distance to be covered by the postgraduate students, and hence through the Internet, the knowledge will travel universally. Furthermore, participation by the experts will contribute learning to all postgraduates, thus bringing in uniformity and comprehensive coverage.
- Creation of a repository of health promotion material
Throughout India, postgraduate students in Public Health Dentistry in different colleges undertake short-term and main dissertations as prescribed by the Dental Council of India, MDS regulation of 2017.[3] Now and again, innovative techniques are invented, tested, or even implemented on the disadvantaged or vulnerable population, resulting in beneficial improvements in oral health.[4],[5],[6] Further, the findings of such inventions are either published, patented, submitted to the university, or end in researchers' drawer. These inventions are presently scattered, and there is no commonplace to find information. As against this background, the authors wish to propose the creation of a repository by IAPHD, of an online nature. The postgraduate students, faculty, and/or public health researchers could be invited to deposit their published innovative techniques, which can be placed on the IAPHD website for viewing globally by all. Such a repository can have multiple benefits, namely:
- Personnel could be able to use it for health promotion activities
- Interested students can conduct further research studies on the techniques
- The vulnerable or differently abled individuals in different parts of the world could draw benefits
- The public health dentist can be abreast with the new invention.
- Invitations
“Invitations” can be a platform provided by IAPHD. Here, through invitations, IAPHD can act as a binder that can connect the researchers to the Public health dentist community. For example, a researcher interested in a multicenter trial can float an Invitation for interested people to join, an expert in a specific topic can float an Invitation to form an interest group for discussing essential research topics, a principal investigator can float an Invitation to participate in the survey, etc., Digitalization has made it convenient to close the physical distance gap between places and bring the learners together.
As we march toward the education of future ……the philosophy is to interconnect, play at a multidisciplinary level, make it flexible and personalized, student-oriented, and include the component of lifelong learning. Digital connect is right here to do all the needful.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | |  |
| 1. | Pushpanjali K. President's message. J Indian Asssoc Public Health Dent 2021;19:1.  |
| 2. | Reddy VK. Hon. Secretary's message. J Indian Asssoc Public Health Dent 2021;19:90. |
| 3. | |
| 4. | Dagar DS, Kakodkar PV, Shetiya SH. Effectiveness of instructed tooth brushing on plaque and oral hygiene among the visually impaired children from a residential blind school in Pune – An interventional study. Med J DY Patil Vidyapeeth 2021;14:180-4. [Full text] |
| 5. | Hebbal M, Ankola AV. Development of a new technique (ATP) for training visually impaired children in oral hygiene maintenance. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 2012;13:244-7. |
| 6. | Debnath A, Srivastava BK, Shetty P, Eshwar S. New vision for improving the oral health education of visually impaired children – A non randomized control trial. J Clin Diagn Res 2017;11:C29-32. |
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