PUBH7600
Introduction to Epidemiology
Course Coordinator: Dr Andrew Page
Delivery Mode: Internal and External
Introduction
This core course introduces you to epidemiology, one of the basic disciplines underpinning the practice of health care and health research at all levels, health evaluation, and disease prevention. Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease in populations. It involves a cycle which asks questions about the health and disease status of individuals and populations, develops methods to investigate problems identified, infer their causes, and evaluate interventions. The focus is on the application of epidemiology to the health of populations or communities. This core Public Health course complements PUBH7630 Introduction to Biostatistics.
Aims
The course introduces you to the basic principles and methods of epidemiology as they relate to the identification, control and prevention of ill-health in the community. The skills you acquire will help in reading and evaluation of the health literature and are broadly applicable to all areas of public health in which you might work.
Content
Specific topics include: mortality and morbidity (data sources and measures), summary measures of population health, linking exposure and disease, study design, bias, confounding, association and cause, epidemics and their investigation, surveillance, disease prevention, screening, health services research and health policy.
Assessment
Assessment comprises 3 written assignments consisting of short answer questions and an online examination at the end of semester.
Recommended texts
No recommended text. Topic reading lists are provided in course Study Guide.
Resources
Study Guide: This contains the week-by-week learning materials. These include learning objectives, the required reading, an introduction, a brief synopsis and key definitions, case studies, and practical exercises.
An online Blackboard site provides an interactive environment for the students and teachers. Reliable and regular access to the Internet is essential.
Further details are provided in the Course Profile.
http://www.uq.edu.au/study/course.html?course_code=PUBH7600
Course Coordinator Contact Details
Dr Andrew Page
School of Population Health
University of Queensland
Herston Road
Herston
QLD 4006
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 7 336 55401
Fax: +61 7 336 55599
Email: a.page@sph.uq.edu.au
View PDF