BETTER-TMD stands for Broader Evaluation of TMD Treatment Efficacy & Response—and is the main feature of their TMD IMPACT grant. Over the next five years, the team will gather detailed information from up to 5,000 TMD patients seen at the USC orofacial pain clinic and private practices.
Using a custom-developed app called MyDocNote, researchers will incorporate real-world, patient-reported treatment outcome data and link it with detailed clinical signs, symptoms, and diagnoses. The project will also use machine learning to analyze this large dataset, which builds on previous work that successfully created predictive formulas for TMD diagnosis and treatment response. The goal is to develop tools to enable clinicians to make more accurate treatment decisions tailored to each patient.
Why This Matters
TMDs are complex and often misdiagnosed. There are over 30 different conditions with muscular, joint, neurological, and systemic causes, making accurate diagnosis challenging, so misdiagnosis and ineffective therapies are common.
BETTER-TMD seeks to change that by collecting data over time directly from patients, paired with clinical observations. This approach can help researchers determine which therapies are best suited for each patient, taking into account both symptoms and psychosocial factors (e.g., thoughts, emotions, attitudes, behaviors). Advanced data analysis, structured clinical notes, and predictive formulas will improve diagnostic accuracy, help classify patients more precisely, and guide individualized treatment plans.
What This Means for Patients and Advocates
For patients living with chronic TMD the project addresses a critical gap in care. As real-world data is collected from sites nationwide, this research could lead to evidence-based care guidelines, raising the standard of care for TMD. Ultimately, BETTER-TMD aspires to give both patients and clinicians personalized, data-driven tools that yield accurate diagnoses, optimal treatment decisions, and improved quality of life.
Challenges Ahead
Collecting structured data is only the first step; careful analysis and guidelines are needed before the information can inform treatment decisions. Incorporating psychological, socioeconomic, and compliance data are also essential for fully understanding diagnosis and treatment decisions.
How You Can Stay Engaged
Patients and advocates play a key role in the success of BETTER-TMD. You can help by spreading the word about the project and its goals—every patient voice strengthens the research. If you or someone you know is eligible, consider participating to provide real-world insights that drive these studies forward.
Stay informed by visiting c-tmd-impact.org for updates on recruitment, project developments, upcoming events, and resources for patients and advocates. As findings emerge, the team will share updates on data analyses, predictive measures and treatment recommendations to help both patients and clinicians stay informed.