Cph 3311 Epidemiology

CPH 3311: Epidemiology

Course Description:

This course introduces student to basic concepts and methods of epidemiology and population health. In this course, students learn how to measure disease incidence, prevalence, risk, relative risk and related concepts. Students also learn how to design, analyze and interpret studies that deploy methodologies ranging from case-control, cohort and randomized control trials (RCTs). Problems that plague such studies are explored including attrition, censoring, biased sampling, model mis-specification, confounding or lurking variables. Finally, disease transmission dynamics are addressed along with network models that attempt to describe them.

Required Textbook and Materials:

The main required textbooks for this course are listed below, and can be readily accessed using the provided links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course’s General Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.

Software Requirements/Installation:

No special requirements.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Define the key terms used in epidemiology; explain the history of epidemiology and the application of the epidemiological approach.
2. Calculate measures of disease and disease risk.
3. Distinguish the major observational and experimental study designs used in obtaining epidemiological information from populations, relevant to health science research, community, public and global health implementation.
4. Identify key sources of epidemiological and health data.
5. Describe past and ongoing public health problems in terms of person, time and place.

Course Schedule and Topics:

This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week. The Final Exam will take place during Week/Unit 9.

Week 1: Unit 1 – Introduction to Epidemiology

Week 2: Unit 2 – Measuring Disease Morbidity and Mortality

Week 3: Unit 3 – Assessing Screening Tests

Week 4: Unit 4 – Study Designs

Week 5: Unit 5 – Assessing Risk: Measures of Association

Week 6: Unit 6 – Bias, Confounding, and Interaction

Week 7: Unit 7 – Surveillance and Sources of Health Data

Week 8: Unit 8 – Sources of Health Data

Week 9: Unit 9 – Course Review and Final Exam