Epidemiology

Year
1
Academic year
2018-2019
Code
04450416
Subject Area
Epidemiology
Language of Instruction
Portuguese
Mode of Delivery
Face-to-face
Duration
SEMESTRIAL
ECTS Credits
4.0
Type
Compulsory
Level
Non Degree Course

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

Lectures and analysis of concrete practical cases.

Learning Outcomes

The Epidemiology curricular unit allows students to develop key aspects of epidemiology, an essential tool for good clinical practice and research, without which it would be impossible to achieve excellence in medical and preventive action. Alongside the provision of methodologies and conceptual frameworks, students will learn basic notions of prevention, identification and characterization of major diseases, lifestyles, behaviors, social and environmental factors as causes of disease and different types of prevention.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

• History of epidemiology.

• Epidemiology “made” by non-epidemiologists (the “eight-day disease” and the Lyme Disease).
• Definition of Epidemiology.
• Types of epidemiology.
• Descriptive epidemiology.
• Analytical Epidemiology.
• Clinical Epidemiology.
• Experimental Epidemiology.

• Social Epidemiology.
• Concepts of health.
• Concept of normality.
• Population at risk.
• Common technics in epidemiology.
• Rates.
• Ratios.
• Proportions.
• Prevalence.
• Incidence.
• Cumulative Incidence.
• Gross and standardized rates.
• Denominators.
• Models of Epidemiological Research.
• Health Indicators.
• Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL).
• Relative risk.
• Cross-products ratio (odds ratio).
• Major epidemiological studies.
• Bias.
• Confounding variables.

• Screenings.
• Research.
• Brief summary of the history of science.
• Key stages of research.
• Testing and diagnostic procedures, selection, use and interpretation.
• Clinical reasoning.

• Using tests.
• Operative characteristics of tests.
• Sampling.
• Sample Size.
• Confidence Intervals.
• Medical significance and statistical significance.
• Architecture of epidemiological studies.

Head Lecturer(s)

Victor José Lopes Rodrigues

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Lectures and analysis of concrete practical cases: 100.0%

Bibliography

• Notas e Técnicas Epidemiológicas -Salvador Massano Cardoso - Fac. Medicina - Coimbra, 5ª edição 2005.

• Medicina Preventiva e Saúde Pública - Sartwell e Maxey - F. C. Gulbenkian-2aed.-2Vol., Lisboa.

• Principles of Epidemiology - L. H. Roht – Academic Press - London, 1982.

• Primer of Epidemiology - G. Friedman - McGraw - Hill, 1980.

• Epidemiology - J. Mausner e A. Baling - W. B. Saunders, Co., 1974.

• Foundation of Epidemiology – Lilienfeld and Lilienfeld - New York, Oxford Uni. Press, 1980.

• Clinical Epidemiology. The Architecture of Clinical Researche - Alvan R.  Feisten - W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1985.