Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Health professionals need to apply and evaluate the identification, control and prevention of ill health in communities. Epidemiology can assist in determining risk factors associated with diseases and what factors may protect against disease. Epidemiology also identifies the effectiveness of health interventions and quantifies potential harms.

This unit uncovers the complexities of patterns of ill health in the population and explores and applies research methods and research skills in health science. It will strengthen skills in critical analysis in reading and interpreting the health and medical literature.

Aims

This unit provides you with essential skills for scientific assessment of the effectiveness of prevention and care at the population and individual levels You will be able to critically evaluate research and study designs using epidemiological techniques. The unit explains how to calculate key measures of disease occurrence and association, and contemporary issues of major importance in health.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you will:
1. Critically evaluate the methods and designs used within health science research
2. Develop skills in calculation and interpretation of measures of the occurrence of disease and association between exposure and disease
3. Apply epidemiological concepts and methods to to the critical analysis of health problems
4. Distinguish causality from simple association and advanced understanding of the nature of causal inference
5. Gain understanding of strategies for disease screening, surveillance, outbreak investigation and other control methods

Content

· The application of epidemiology and quantitative research methods in population and clinical health sciences
· Measurement of exposure and risk of disease
· Design of epidemiology studies
· Causality and association
· Methods of disease surveillance in the community, and
· Application of epidemiological principles through the critical appraisal of health literature.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The integration of theory and practice is achieved by linking lectures and tutorial discussions. Teaching methods include lectures, tutorials (internal), ollaborate sessions (external), literature searches and self-directed learning.

Assessment name: Exam (Theory)
Description: This assessment will test your knowledge and ability to calculate and interpret the measures of the occurrence of disease and measures of association between exposure and disease; application of specialised knowledge of the principles and methods underlying epidemiologic study and strategies for disease prevention and screening, disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. Your ability to distinguish causality from simple association and your advanced understanding of the nature of causal inference will also be assessed.
Relates to objectives: 2-4
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Mid Semester

Assessment name: Essay
Description: Structured essay of a critical appraisal of an epidemiological study. This assessment will assess your skills and knowledge in the epidemiological principles taught in the unit through the critical analysis of a published health research study. The assessment requires the application of the appropriate principles to assess the trustworthiness (risks of bias) of published research of a public health intervention using a standard critical appraisal tool. The assessment requires each student to prepare a structured essay of approximately 3,000 words using the questions of the prescribed critical appraisal tool. As is standard practice, students are required to undertake the assessment independently, then compare and discuss their findings with a colleague, and then reach agreement. The report will include a description of the conclusions and the process undertaken.

This assessment will be undertaken initially individually and then in pairs.
Relates to objectives: 1, 3, 4 and 5
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: End of Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Prescribed text

Gordis, L. (2009). Epidemiology (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders.

Recommended texts:

Bonita, R ., Beaglehole, R., & Kjellstrom, T. (2006). Basic Epidemiology (2nd ed) ,Geneva: World Health Organisation.

Higgins JPT, Green S (editors). The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions 5.1[updated March 2011] . The Cochrane Collaboration, available for www.cochrane-handbook.org

Nordness, R (2006). Epidemiology and Biostatistics Secrets: Questions you will be asked. Mosby Elesvier: Philadelphia.

Rothman, K.J., Greenland, S., & Lash, T.L. (2008). Modern Epidemiology ( 3rd ed). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

Rosner B (2006) Fundamentals of Biostatistics (6th ed). Belmont: Thomson.

Additional references and published papers for this unit will be recommended or referred to r in some lectures and/or tutorials. Citation and copies of these papers will be available through the online teaching site or through the library search engine.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 22-Nov-2012