HLTH08030 2019 Applied Epidemiology

In this module the student will develop a comprehensive knowledge of modern epidemiology.  Learners will develop specific skills in epidemiological study design and the appraisal of these studies, as well as associated skills in the design of fact sheets  on the epidemiology of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Students will also address ethical issues.

This popular book examines the underlying concepts and applications of epidemiology.

Taking a practical view with examples from all areas of health, the third edition of this textbook provides a clear, contemporary introduction to epidemiology.

Epidemiology, by award-winning educator and epidemiologist Leon Gordis, is a best-selling introduction to this complex science. Dr. Gordis leverages his vast experience teaching this subject in the classroom to introduce the basic principles and concepts of epidemiology in a clear, uniquely memorable way. He guides you from an explanation of the epidemiologic approach to disease and intervention, through the use of epidemiologic principles to identify the causes of disease, to a discussion of how epidemiology should be used to improve evaluation and public policy. It's your best choice for an accessible yet rich understanding of epidemiology! Gain a solid foundation of basic epidemiologic principles as well as practical applications in public health and clinical practice. Visualize concepts vividly through abundant full-color figures, graphs, and charts. Check your understanding of essential information with 320 multiple-choice epidemiology self-assessment questions (120 inside the book plus 200 more online). Access the complete contents online at Student Consult, including over 200 additional multiple-choice epidemiology self-assessment questions not found in the book, with answers to all questions as well as full rationales explaining why every answer is correct or incorrect. Master the latest nuances in epidemiology thanks to a wealth of new and updated illustrations, examples, and epidemiologic data.

Since publication of the first three editions of this hugely successful book, systematic methods of critical appraisal have been accepted as central to healthcare provision, both in critical applications and in a wider health services and community perspective. This new edition builds on thework of the previous editions by presenting a fully updated and accessible system of critical appraisal applicable to clinical, epidemiological, and public health studies, and related fields.The book outlines the systematic review process for the establishment of causal effect within single and multiple studies. Focusing primarily on study design, it covers randomized and non-randomized trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and surveys, showing the presentation of resultsincluding person-time and survival analysis, and issues in the selection of subjects. It then describes the process of detection and assessment of selection biases, observation bias, confounding, chance variation, and how to determine internal validity and external validity (generalizability).Statistical methods are presented in an accessible way, illustrating applications to each study design. Positive features of causation including strength, dose-response, and consistency are also discussed. The final chapters provide six examples of critical appraisals of major studies, encompassing randomized trials, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, and case-control studies. Statistical issues are explained clearly without complex mathematics, and the most useful methods are summarized inthe appendix, each with a worked example. Each main chapter includes self-test questions, with answers provided, making the book ideally suited to readers with no prior epidemiological or statistical knowledge.Developed over four editions, Critical Appraisal of Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials is an invaluable aid to the effective assessment of new studies in epidemiology, public health, research methods, evidence-based methods, clinical medicine, and environmental health; making it essentialreading for postgraduates, practitioners, and policymakers in these fields.

Greenhalgh, T. (2014) How to read a paper - the basics of evidence based medicine ( 5th  Ed.). BMJ Books, Blackwell Publishing. Greenhalgh, http://www.mazums.ac.ir/Dorsapax/Data/Sub_30/File/Read%20papers.pdf 

The British Medical Journal 

The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

BMC Public Health

The National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools - https://www.nccmt.ca/learningcentre/EN/index.php#main2.html

The Institute of Public Health - www.publichealth.ie

https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/43541/9241547073_eng.pdf;jsessionid=913D34B26A1F8BC2A8EE083459208308?sequence=1 

PC access for searching for data and papers 

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