Epidemiology
| Module title | Epidemiology |
|---|---|
| Module code | HPDM121 |
| Academic year | 2021/2 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Abby Russell (Convenor) Dr Janice Atkins (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 6 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 38 |
|---|
Module description
This module will form the foundation of the science of public health. You will be exposed to epidemiology through the study of distributions and determinants of disease in populations and learn to apply the tools epidemiologists use to investigate health and disease in populations how they support public health decision-making for population health.
No pre-requisites or specialist knowledge are required to undertake this module, which is well suited to interdisciplinary learning. Delivery is via six focused sessions of expert-led small group learning, interspersed by personal study undertaken at your own pace interactive “consolidation” activities and supported by our internet resources.
Face-to-face scheduled lectures may be replaced by pre-recorded overview lectures, with learning consolidated by self-directed learning resources and ELE activities.
Workshops involving face-to-face classroom teaching may be replaced by synchronous sessions on Teams/Zoom.
Module aims - intentions of the module
In this module you will understand:
- Causality in public health and challenges to understanding causality
- Sources of evidence in epidemiology
- Key forms of bias in epidemiological research
- The contribution of different study designs and data sources to understanding epidemiologic relationship
- How health, wellbeing and risk and protective factors are measured
- How tests and their performance influence public health decisions
- The role of genetics and genomics in shaping epidemiology
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Apply epidemiological methods to breadth of settings and situations in public health
- 2. Identify key sources of data for epidemiological and public health investigation purposes
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Understand how causality can be inferred or induced from evidence and the implications of this for population health
- 4. Diagnose and interpret forms of bias affecting the reliability of quantitative research results
- 5. Interpret key concepts of hypothesis testing, effect modification and confounding
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Identify limitations of research results, data sources or existing practices and programmes
- 7. Critically appraise suitability of epidemiological research for reliability and application
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:
- Introduction to epidemiology: history and the epidemiological transition, hypothesis testing, definitions of disease occurrence
- Sources of epidemiological data and study designs
- Bias in epidemiology
- Causality: confounding, interaction and effect modification; graphical approaches to understanding causality and methods for managing confounding
- Diagnostic and test performance
- An introduction to genetic epidemiology
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 135 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 15 | All student taught sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 115 | Session preparation and follow up work utilising resources provided on ELE |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Reading and assignment preparation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class discussions and small group work activities | Each taught session | 3-4 | Facilitator and peer feedback in class |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Take-home, open-note exam | 50 | 45 minutes | 1-7 | Written |
| Written task (50%) | 50 | 1000 words | 1-7 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take home, open-note exam (50%) | Take-home, open-note exam (45 minutes) | 1-7 | Typically within six weeks of the result |
| Written Task (50%) | Written Task (1000 words) | 1-7 | Typically within six weeks of the result |
Re-assessment notes
Please refer to the TQA section on Referral/Deferral: http://as.exeter.ac.uk/academic-policy-standards/tqa-manual/aph/consequenceoffailure/
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Gordis, L. Epidemiology, 5th ed. Elsevier.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 29/01/2020 |
| Last revision date | 29/09/2021 |
