Epidemiology

• Know the basics of the epidemiological method as an essential core of Public Health.
• Know and apply the criteria for causality in Epidemiology and Health Sciences.
• Know the key elements of the epidemiological analysis: designs; measures of frequency; measures of effect; identification of biases (selection, information, confounding).
• Know and understand how to apply the basics of Demography as an auxiliary science of Epidemiology and Public Health: identification and analysis of populations, both static and dynamic.
• Know how to interpret a scientific publication.
• Know how to plan and design appropriately an epidemiological study.
• Know the main synthesis tools of the scientific literature, the systematic review and the meta-analysis.

LECTURES PROGRAM (12 topics)
Block 1. Introduction.
Topic 1. History of Public Health and epidemiology.Concept of health and disease. Epidemiological chain and introduction to causality.
Block 2. Demography.
Topic 2. Static Demography and Dynamic Demography.
Topic 3. Health indicators and health surveys.
Block 3. Design of epidemiological studies.
Topic 4. Measures of frequency, effect and impact.
Topic 5. Clinical trials
Topic 6. Cohort studies. STROBE Guide.
Topic 7. Case-control studies
Topic 8. Analytical and descriptive cross-sectional studies.
Topic 9. Biases.
Block 4. Studies of diagnostic tests.
Topic 10. Studies of diagnostic tests.
Block 5. Synthesis of scientific evidence.
Topic 11. Systematic revisions of the scientific literature. PRISMA Guide.
Topic 12. Meta-analysis. MOOSE guide

PROGRAM OF PRACTICAL SEMINARS.
Seminar 1. Standardization of rates.
Seminar 2. Measurements of frequency.
Seminar 3. Measurements of effect and impact.
Seminar 4. Critical reading of scientific studies.
Seminar 5. Diagnostic test
Seminar 6.- Critical reading

Basic and complementary bibliography
Ildefonso Hernández-Aguado and Blanca Lumbreras Lacarra. manual of epidemiology and public health for degrees in health sciences. Ed Panamericana. ISBN 9788491101734. 2018. 420 pages.
Ahlbom A, Alfredssom L, Alfven T. Fundamentals of epidemiology. 9th ed. 21st Century of Spain Eds. Madrid, 2007
Argimón JM, Jiménez J. Research methods applied to primary health care. Ed Doyma. Barcelona, 1991.
Argimón JM, Jiménez J. Methods of clinical and epidemiological research. 2nd Ed. Editions Harcourt. Madrid, 1999.
Ashton J. The New Public Health. Ed Masson. Barcelona, 1990.
Hulley SB, Cummings SR. Design of clinical research. An epidemiological approach. Ed. DOYMA. Barcelona, 1993.
University Institute of Public Health of Catalonia. The epidemiology and their surnames. Promotions and University Publications, S.A. Barcelona, 1995.
Last JM, Ed. A dictionary of Epidemiology. International of Epidemiology Association. Oxford University Press. Oxford, 1983.
Martínez Navarro F et al. Public health. MacGraw-Hill-Interamericana. Madrid, 1997.
Norell S. Designs of epidemiological studies. 21st Century of Spain Eds. Madrid, 1994.
Rothman KJ. Modern Epidemiology. Diaz de Santos. Madrid, 1987
Rothman KJ. Epidemiology: An introduction. Oxford University Press, 2002.
Epidemiological method. Carlos III Health Institute.
http://www.isciii.es/ISCIII/es/contenidos/fd-publicaciones-isciii/fd-do…-
0843_Epidemiological_Manual_23-01-10.pdf 2009.

The student must be able to design an epidemiological study, manage the instruments of epidemiological measurement and discuss the relationships of variables with a critical vision of the methods learned throughout the course. S/he must also be able to interpret a study of diagnostic tests.

presential lessons

IMPORTANT: The weight of the final exam may range from 70 to 100%, since the weight of the continuous evaluation can range from 30 to 0%.

The evaluation for the first opportunity will be as follows
Exam: There will be a test with a maximum of 60 questions proportional to the different contents of the subject. To pass this subject (with a 5), it will be necessary to obtain least 70% or more of the possible marks in this exam. The weight of this written exam can represent between 70 and 100% of the final grade.

Continuous assessment: could represent up to 30% of the final marks of this subject, provided that the written exam is passed. Attendance to face to face lectures or seminars could be taken into account. A brief exam (test type) could be performed at the end of the seminars or expositive lessons, or through the virtual campus.

The weight of the continuous evaluation in the extraordinary opportunity for recovery (July test) will be the same as that used in the first opportunity.

To obtain the final mark, the exam marks and the continuous assessment will be added as long as the exam is passed. If the exam is not passed, the final grade will be that of the exam mark, the continuous assessment will not be taken into account. The final mark will be cero if there is no exam mark even if the student has a continuous assessment mark. If there is no continuous assessment, the final grade will be the grade obtained in the exam.


For the second opportunity, the same evaluation system employed in the first opportunity may be used or the test exam may be replaced by an oral test with any of the teachers of the subject. This oral test will weigh the same as the test type exam. In this case the mark obtained in the continuous evaluation will be maintained, in the event that this continuous assessment has been done throughout the course. The other assumptions are maintained.

Three hours per week, study theory and solve problems Absolute understanding of the exercises proposed in the seminars.

Attendance to the lessons, both theoretical and practical, and dedication to reread the material in the recommended weekly time. Consulting and more in-depth focusing on the readings, which consist of 2 or 3 items, and assisting to the tutorials. Absolute understanding of the exercises proposed in the seminars.