Epidemiological Research

Recommended Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of Epidemiology and Statistics.

Proficiency  in English.

Teaching Methods

Presentation of the methods and techniques followed by practical work using published papers.

Learning Outcomes

Since its beginning that the PHSDHS of the Faculty of Medicine (University of Coimbra) has a course in Epidemiology, where are presented the concepts, methodologies and techniques used this area. However, the previous years showed (even by comments and suggestions made by students) that the time available for the presentation of the contents is not sufficient to develop them with detail and with the essential practical component.

Therefore, this course has some goals:

Further develop the knowledge acquired at the basic epidemiologic course

Explicit some contents that were not studied in convenient depthed (e.g. quantitative and qualitative measurement, sampling, meta-analysis)

Apply those competencies in research design.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

The research question

The design of the study

Epidemiological and statistical power of the study

Definition, selection and uptake of participants

Methodologies and sampling techniques

The measurement instruments

Questionnaires, surveys and interviews

Validity, reproducibility and variability

Tests and diagnostic procedures

Qualitative and quantitative measurement

Association and indicators of causality

Bias, confounding and error

Survival analysis

Planning and execution of the analysis

Meta-analysis.

Head Lecturer(s)

Victor José Lopes Rodrigues

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Critical evaluation of a scientific paper published: 100.0%

Bibliography

Mark Elwwod. Critical appraisal of epidemiological studies and clinical trials. Oxford University Press, 2007

Trisha Greenhalgh. How to read a paper: the basics o evidence based medicine. BMJ Books, 2010

Steve Selvin. Epidemiologic analysis. A case-oriented approach. Oxford University Press, 2001