James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2001

TV5040:03

Epidemiology

Townsville

Inadmissable Subject Combination: HS1000 MI1000

26 lectures, 13 tutorials. First semester.

Available to graduate students.

Staff: Assoc. Professor B Copeman.

This subject includes a consideration of epidemiological terms; methods used to describe occurrence of disease and measure morbidity and mortality; sources of epidemiological data; the concept and measurement of cause and effect; validity and types of diagnostic tests; design of epidemiological studies; and economics of disease.

Learning Objectives:

  1. understand the often complex patterns of causes and effects of disease;
  2. know sources of epidemiological data and how to describe and prepare data for analysis;
  3. understand concepts of sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of diagnostic tests;
  4. design surveys, case control studies and cohort studies, and experiments using between subject, factorial and repeated measures designs;
  5. be aware of sources of bias in designing experiments and interpreting data;
  6. be aware of economic measures applied to assessing costs and benefits of disease control.

Assessment by two written assignments (30%); five problems (15%); a two-hour written examination (55%).