Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Epidemiologic Methods I

Course Description

This course is an introductory epidemiology course, and provides an overview of descriptive epidemiology and an introduction to analytical epidemiology.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe and discuss fundamental concepts of descriptive epidemiology using common epidemiological terminology.
• Conduct an epidemiological analysis of population health data, including the analysis and interpretation of incidence rates, prevalence, attributable risks, relative risks, and odds-ratios.
• Discuss the main features, advantages and disadvantages of randomized control trials, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies and case control studies.
• Critically evaluate studies of different designs (e.g., randomized control trial, cohort and study case control studies), recognizing strengths and limitations in study design and execution.
• Discuss the concept and different approaches to causation from an epidemiological perspective.
• Describe and differentiate the concepts of bias, confounding and random error.
• Describe the role of epidemiology and approach to epidemiological thinking to concepts of population health including public health problems such as outbreaks, screening programs, and surveillance.