Principles of Epidemiology For MPH HP Program UCLA School of Public Health Epidemiology 100 Spring 2002 Selected Fridays

Principles of Epidemiology
For MPH HP Program
UCLA School of Public Health
Epidemiology 100
Spring 2002
Selected Fridays (see below) 1:00-5:00 p.m.  Rm 41-268

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this course is to provide practicing health professionals in health services with a clear understanding of epidemiology including the epidemiological tools they need to plan/deliver/assess services for defined populations.

1. Friday, March 22 - Introduction and Relevancy Readings, Homework, etc. 1.Read: Gordis Introduction to Epidemiology Ch 1 2 Read: Gordis Using Epidemiology to Evaluate Health Services Ch 16 pp 243-248 3.Read: Vogt What Epidemiology Is , A Brief History of the Field , in Course Reader 4.Hw: Write on one piece of paper 5 general uses for Epidemiology and 5 uses of Epidemiology in Health Services Research and/or Administration (best if this is done prior to your reading)* 5. Web Sites of Interest:** · Epidemiology Supercourse http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/main/epi.htm · Epi Links: http://www.ph.ucla.edu/class/epi/epi414/epilink.html · About John Snow: http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow.html · CDC & National Center for Health Statistics: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ · Public Health Image Library: http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/default.asp

Class Session 1. Disc: Epidemiological Thinking (20m)*** 2. Pre-Test (45m) (Hand-out) 3. Break (10m) 4. Grading of Pre-Test (45m) 5. Disc: About the Class (30m) 6. Lec: Overview --- Epidemiology (45m) 7. Lec: Overview --- Epidemiology and Health Services (45m)

2. Friday, April 5 - Infectious Diseases, Emerging Diseases, & Bioterrorism Readings, Homework, etc. 1. Read: Gordis The Dynamics of Disease Transmission Ch 2 2. Hw: Transmission of Diseases in Course Reader - do as many questions as you can answer. 3. Hw: An Outbreak of Enteritis in Course Reader - Prepare all questions to Hand-In #1. 4. Web Sites of interest: · Infectious Diseases: http://www.lapublichealth.org/acd/procs/b73/b73index.htm · County of L.A.'s Bt site: http://www.labt.org · Dr. Frerich's BT Site: http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/bioterrorism.html · Center for Public Health and Disasters - UCLA: http://www.ph.ucla.edu/cphdr/index.html · Center for Civilian Biodefence Strategies: http://www.hopkins-biodefense.org/ · BT Template for Health Facilities: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/Bio/13apr99APIC-CDCBioterrorism.PDF

3. Friday, April 19th - About Rates and Surveillance Readings, Homework, etc. 1.Read: Gordis Measuring occurrence of disease Ch 3 2.Read: Gordis: The Natural History of Disease: Ways of Expressing Prognosis Ch 5 pp 82-85 3.Read: The Global Eradication of Smallpox and Measles Elimination in the Americas in Course Reader 4.Hw: Measures of Disease Occurrence in Course Reader - Prepare all questions to Hand-In #2 5. Web Sites of interest: · CDC Surveillance Slide Show: http://www.cdc.gov/epo/dphsi/phs/overview.htm · Smallpox: http://www.lapublichealth.org/epi/smallpox_files/frame.htm · Book on Smallpox Eradication: http://www.who.int/emc/diseases/smallpox/Smallpoxeradication.html · Student's Surveillance Pages: http://www.ph.ucla.edu/class/epi/epi414/epistud.html

Class Session 1. Quiz 1: On Sessions 1 & 2 (20m) 2. Disc: Measuring Occurrence of Disease (1h) 3. Break (10m) 4. Disc: Standardization of rates and ratios (30m) 5. Lec: How Surveillance was used in Smallpox Eradication - Slide Show (1h) 6. Disc: Use of the Web for Health Information and Surveillance (1h)

4. Friday, May 3 - Screening for Disease. Experimental Studies Readings, Homework, etc. 1. Read: Vogt Screening for Disease in Course Reader. 2. Read: Gordis Randomized Trials Chs 6 & 7 3. Hw: Surveys and Screening in Course Reader - do as many questions as you can answer. 4. Hw: Critiquing the Medical Literature in Course Reader - Answer all Questions to Hand-In #3 5. Web sites of interest: · Screening and Disease Prevention: http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/lecture/lec0591/index.htm · Clinical Trial Concepts: http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/lecture/lec0222/index.htm

Class Session 1. Disc: Epidemiological Thinking (20m) 2. Disc: Surveys and Screening (1h) 3. Break (10m) 4. Lec: Epidemiologic Study Designs (Experiments) (1½ h) 5. Health Services Case Studies (handouts) (1h)

5. Friday, May 17 - Cohort and Case-Control Studies Readings, Homework, etc. 1. Read: Gordis Cohort Studies Ch 8, Case-Control & Cross-Sectional Studies Ch 9 2. Read: Influenza in the Elderly… in Course Reader 3. Hw: Do all questions in Chapters 8 & 9, add a brief explanation for the rationale for each answer to Hand-In #4.

Class Session 1. Quiz 2: On Sessions 3 & 4 (20m) 2. Disc: Module: Surveys and Screening (1h) 3. Break (10m) 4. Lec: Epidemiologic Study Designs (Cohort, Case-Control) (2h) 5. Health Services Case Studies (30m)

6. Friday, May 24 - About Causation Readings, Homework, etc. 1. Read: Gordis From Association to Causation ch 13 2. Read: Gordis More on Causal Inferences ch 14 3. Read: Methodologic Problems… in Course Reader 4. Read: Natural History of Aging and Health in the 20th Century from Course Reader 5. Hw: Do all questions in Chapters 13 & 14, add a brief explanation for the rationale for each answer to Hand-In #5. 6. Web Site of Interest: · Gerontology: http://geronet.ph.ucla.edu/

Friday, June 7 - Data Informatics & Confidentiality Readings, Homework, etc. 1. Read: Gordis Epidemiology and Public Policy Ch 18 2. Read: Gordis Ethical and Professional Issues in Epidemiology Ch 19 3. Read: Sources of Data in Course Reader 4. Prepare for Final Exam 5. Web Site of Interest · Epidemiology and the Internet: http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/lecture/lec0081/index.htm

OPTIONAL SUPPLEMENTARY TEXT: Last, J.M.: A Dictionary of Epidemiology, fourth Edition, 2001 * For those homeworks which are not indicated to 'Hand-In' students may be asked to read their answers in class **Web sites of interest -- are just that. Additional information contained on the site will not be used for quizzes or exams. *** All timings are rough estimates and subject to change ****There will be a total of 3 Quizzes: you may drop 1 ***** There will be a total of 5 Homework 'Hand-Ins': you may drop 1