This module is discontinued in the selected year. The information shown below is for the academic year that the module was last running in, prior to the year selected.
2017/18 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue
EPIB5022M Core Epidemiology
15 creditsClass Size: 45
Module manager: Dr G Law
Email: G.R.Law@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2017/18
Pre-requisite qualifications
Academic entry requirements:Normally a first degree in a science allied with medicine, including biology, ecology, biochemistry, statistics, mathematics, computing, psychology, economics or biomedical science (at least 2:2). We will also consider working experience (two years or more) of research in a quantitative subject area.
English language requirements:
An overall score of 7.0 on IELTS (International English Language Testing System) with at least 6.0 in writing and no other skill below 6.5; from a TOEFL paper based test the requirement is a minimum score of 600, with 4.5 in the Test of Written English (TWE); from a TOEFL computer based test the requirement is a minimum score of 250, with 4.5 TWE; from a TOEFL Internet based test the requirement is a minimum score of 100, with 25 in the "Writing Skills" score.
This module is approved as an Elective
Module summary
The module is designed to give students an overview of material that is essential for the training of an epidemiologist and biostatistician working in epidemiology. By the end of the module students will be able to critically evaluate the role of epidemiology as one of the basic sciences of public health, use causal models, describe advantages and disadvantages of different study designs and calculate measures of risk, taking account sources of possible bias.Objectives
The objectives of this module are to:- Introduce epidemiology as the core science underpinning the study of diseases in a population;
- Describe a range of study designs for studying health and disease in populations;
- Develop understanding of the hierarchy in the validity of the range of study designs, leading to choosing the most appropriate study design for a research question;
- Enable the student to describe and evaluate key measures used in health protection, health promotion, and disease prevention;
- Introduce disease causation and explore models and methods for elucidating cause;
- Introduce standard statistical methods relevant to the range of study designs;
- To develop qualities that are appropriate to their future responsibilities to colleagues and society in general. As such, we aim to develop a professional attitude towards epidemiology;
- To provide signposted links to skills that are introduced or developed in this module that contributes to a professional ‘spine’.
Learning outcomes
Epidemiology
By the end of this module the student should be able to:
- Define the scientific study of disease known as epidemiology;
- Describe examples of successes in the study of disease causality using epidemiological methods;
- Critically evaluate the role of epidemiology as one of the basic sciences of public health.
Causality
By the end of this module the student should be able to:
- Define disease causality and distinguish from association;
- Formulate, from a description of a putative risk factor, whether the cause is necessary or sufficient;
- Apply causal models, such as ‘Rothman’s causal pie model’, to describe risk factors for disease;
- Appraise how epidemiological studies can be used to assess the causes of disease and evaluate treatments;
- Describe the meaning and application of measures of disease occurrence, mortality, prevalence and risk.
Study design
By the end of this module the student should be able to:
- Construct, using examples, the commonly-used epidemiological study designs;
- When presented with a study description, formulate the type of design;
- Appraise the advantages and disadvantages relevant to the main types of study;
- Define and use the hierarchy of evidence relating to study design for investigating possible risk factors for disease.
Risk, bias and confounding
By the end of this module the student should be able to:
- Define and formulate measures of risk, relative risk, odds, incidence, prevalence and mortality;
- Identify confounding in a study;
- Appraise, and reduce the impact of, sources of bias. This will include selection bias and information bias;
- Explain the role of chance, confounding factors and bias in epidemiological studies;
- Critically apply attributable risk and fraction.
Transferable skills
By the end of this module the student should be able to:
- Access and use web based information to complete formative and summative assessments on-line;
- Assimilate on-line tasks, posting work and appraising the work of others;
- Formulate and receive feedback to peers on an issue of medical importance.
Skills outcomes
Identification of causality, design of epidemiological studies, measurement of risk, bias and confounding.
Syllabus
The module will be delivered by Dr Graham Law over 6 weeks, as a blend of face-to-face small group work and lectures, vodcasts (audio-visual presentations), online written material, online formative questions, answers and feedback.
The course will cover the following subjects:
Introduction to epidemiology; Causation and models of cause; Directed acyclic graphs; Experiment and observational epidemiology; Hierarchy of evidence in study design; Anecdote, case series; Case registers; Disease clusters; Ecological studies; Case-control studies; Cohort studies; Randomised controlled trials; Intention-to-treat, blinding, placebo; Introduction to meta-analysis; Incidence, prevalence, Mortality; Absolute and relative risk; Odds ratios, Risk ratios; Attributable risk and fraction; Selection bias; Information bias; Confounding
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| Lecture | 5 | 2.00 | 10.00 |
| Tutorial | 4 | 2.00 | 8.00 |
| Independent online learning hours | 60.00 | ||
| Private study hours | 72.00 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 18.00 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150.00 | ||
Private study
The module will exploit staged web-based teaching as follows:- Comprehensive web-based material covering the basics of the study design and the statistical analysis of these designs;
- A series of reusable learning objects, as online audio-visual presentations, designed to cover in an entertaining way the basics of epidemiology as a science and the details of study design;
- Online formative assessments, delivered using the VLE, will assess learning in the students throughout the web-based material and the audio-visual casts;
- Supplementary reading recommended from text books and significant papers will be set;
- Students will be set a weekly reading task and the discussion rooms within the VLE will be used to discuss a question about each article;
- An online discussion forum will allow students and lecturers to discuss questions and answers about the material being covered.
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
This will be done in a number of ways:- Student attendance and contribution to lectures and tutorials;
- Access logs for the online material on the VLE. Despite this being self-paced, reasonable aims will be defined for progress with the material;
- Recording and monitoring of progress with online summative questions/answers within Blackboard.
Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Essay | Short answers questions - 1000 words total | 70.00 |
| Online Assessment | Summative, open book assessment delivered securely using VLE. | 15.00 |
| Online Assessment | Summative, open book assessment delivered securely using VLE. | 15.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 22/04/2015
Browse Other Catalogues
- Undergraduate module catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
- Undergraduate programme catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue
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