PU5030: EPIDEMIOLOGY (2017-2018)

At the end of the course, the student will:

· Understand the concept of causation; how this differs at a population, versus individual, level; and the difference between a ‘simple’ association and a ‘causal’ association;

· Understand different measures of disease occurrence;

· Appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of different epidemiological study designs; understand when to use them; and the appropriate analytic approach in each case;

· Understand different methodological considerations in epidemiological investigations, including: validity, reliability, bias and confounding; and

· Have developed skills in critical appraisal and interpretation of epidemiological research.

Topics to be covered in the course include:

Causality and associations / Measures of disease occurrence / Study design and analysis / Populations / Sampling / Validity and reliability / Sensitivity and specificity / Bias and confounding / Critical appraisal.

As is required at Masters Level, knowledge and regurgitation of the facts delivered in the lectures is not sufficient to warrant a pass and students will have to demonstrate an applied understanding of the concepts and subject areas that are explained. Students should take responsibility for their own learning: while the lectures outline the main theoretical and epidemiological principles, thereafter students are expected to expand on this with further reading – either from the recommended textbooks, or from other epidemiology literature / papers, as detailed in the lectures. Students are also expected to practise the application of epidemiological theory and principles by engaging in regular homework assignments and assigned coursework, as this consolidates teaching from the lectures.

This course in applied epidemiology gives an introduction to disease measurement at a population level, basic epidemiological study design and analysis, and provides an understanding of key methodological issues needed to apply when designing – or critically appraising – an epidemiological study.

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

More Information about Week Numbers

Weekly Quizzes (5%); Class test (40%); Data Identification (15%); Exam (40%).

There are no assessments for this course.

• Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

  1. Identify, define and contextualise basic epidemiological terminology
  2. Describe a health problem in terms of magnitude, persons, time and place
  3. Calculate and interpret basic epidemiological measures (e.g., incidence/prevalence) and  measures of association (e.g., odds ratio, risk ratio)
  4. Identify and select appropriate sources of data to address epidemiological questions
  5. Distinguish between observational study designs and communicate the appropriate circumstances in which to use each design
  6. Recognise the potential threats to correctly interpreting results and identify those most relevant to each observational study design
  7. Critically appraise observational studies in terms of context, study design, methods, analysis and conclusions