BIOSTATS 6000 - Epidemiology
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2020
On completion of this course students should be familiar with the major concepts and tools of epidemiology, the study of health in populations, and should be able to judge the quality of evidence in health-related research literature. Topics include: historical developments in epidemiology; sources of data on mortality and morbidity; disease rates and standardisation; prevalence and incidence; life expectancy; linking exposure and disease (eg relative risk, attributable risk); main types of study design - case series, ecological studies, cross-sectional surveys, case-control studies, cohort or follow-up studies, randomised controlled trials; sources of error (chance, bias, confounding); association and causality; evaluating published papers; epidemics and epidemic investigation; surveillance; prevention; screening.
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code BIOSTATS 6000 Course Epidemiology Coordinating Unit Public Health Term Semester 2 Level Postgraduate Coursework Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact 2 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N Incompatible PUB HLTH 7075 and PUB HLTH 4275 Quota A quota of 20 applies Assessment Two assignments, each worth 20%. A two-hour exam worth 60%. Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Ms Jacqueline Parsons
Course Coordinators: Dr Angela Gialamas, Associate Professor Lisa Smithers
Dr Angela Gialamas
Phone: +61 8 8313 0962
Email: angela.gialamas@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 9, AHMS Building
A/Prof Lisa SmithersPhone: +61 8 8313 0546
Email: lisa.smithers@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 9, AHMS Building
Other teaching staffLecturer: Professor John Lynch
Phone: +61 8 8313 6541
Email: john.lynch@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 9, AHMS Building
Tutor: Pedro Henrique Ribeiro Santiago
Phone: +61 8 8313 2588
Email: pedro.ribeirosantiago@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 9, AHMS Building
Student & Program Support Services Hub
Email: askhealthsc@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: +61 8313 0273Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of routine sources of data used in descriptive epidemiology, and appreciate their strengths and limitations accordingly.
2. Outline epidemiological measures of disease occurrence, calculate basic measures and describe patterns of disease occurrence.
3. Correctly calculate and apply absolute and relative measures of risk.
4. Differentiate epidemiological study designs, recognise the most appropriate circumstances in which to use each design, and describe the measures of disease occurrence that can be generated using each design.
5. Recognise potential threats to correctly interpreting results from epidemiological studies and identify those most relevant to each study design.
6. Distinguish the difference between association and causation and appreciate relevant issues in inferring causation from observational designs.
7. Demonstrated ability to review and critically appraise observational studies;
8. Summarise the principles of screening and the conditions under which a screening program would be most appropriate and cost-effective.
University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
2, 5, 6, 7, 8 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
3, 5, 7, 8 Teamwork and communication skills
- developed from, with, and via the SGDE
- honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
- encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
1, 4, 7, 8 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
3, 8 Intercultural and ethical competency
- adept at operating in other cultures
- comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
- able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
- demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
4, 5, 7, 8 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
The textbook for the course is:
Webb P, Bain C, Page A. Essential Epidemiology: An introduction for Students and Health Professionals. 3rd edition. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
Three hard copies of the textbook are available from the University library. An e-textbook is forthcoming and will be made available via the University library in the future.
Other relevant reading material may be provided during the course in the form of book chapters, journal articles (both recently published and seminal), and links to websites.Recommended Resources
Other Resources: Epidemiology Textbooks
There are many introductory epidemiology texts. Reading a text other than the set text can be helpful if a topic seems unclear or difficult – a different explanation and different examples can be illuminating. Some recommended texts for learning about epidemiology are described below.
1. Rothman K. Epidemiology: An Introduction. 2nd edition. Oxford, UK. Oxford University Press, 2012.
This is a small introductory-level book that provides good explanations of epidemiological concepts.
2. Szklo M, Nieto FJ. Epidemiology: Beyond the Basics. 3rd edition. MA, USA. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2014.
This text digs a little deeper into epidemiological concepts.
Other Resources: Epidemiology Journals
Many journals also specialise in epidemiological research and you have access to the University's journal collection. Some good epidemiological journals include:
• The International Journal of Epidemiology
• Epidemiology
• American Journal of Epidemiology
• Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
• Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Students could consider subscribing to a journal's Table of Contents, so that they can follow when new articles published in their area of interest. This is a free service offered by most international journals.Online Learning
It is assumed that students will have access to the 成人大片 student e-mail address that was assigned to them on enrolment. Messages will be sent to their official 成人大片 student e-mail address and assume that they read their e-mail. The announcements page of the MyUni site for this course will also display relevant notices from time to time. MyUni is the primary entry point to online learning at the 成人大片. MyUni will be used to provide students with access to course materials, announcements, and other features to assist your study. Students can connect to MyUni on or off campus via the internet at: www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au/ -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course is delivered in fully-flexible mode. This means that all components of this course can be taken online (externally) or in
person (face-to-face; internal - compulsory for international students).
Lectures: Provide basic factual information, introduce and illustrate concepts. Recorded lectures are provided for online students.
Tutorials: Provide an opportunity to develop understanding of lecture material and clarify concepts. Tutors organise weekly online support sessions for students who take the course online. University-support software (Zoom) is used for online tutorials. Zoom software is free.
Practicals: A forum for application of lecture material. They provide an interactive forum to apply concepts from lectures and clarify understanding. Some practicals involve the use of statistical analysis software. For students taking
the course online, we use Zoom software to help students with their practicals. Assignments: Opportunity for independent application and exploration of key concepts.
Online exam: To assess the extent to which understanding has developed through the course and can be applied in novel scenarios.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
Lectures - 9x1 = 9hours
Tutorials - 4x1 = 4hours
Practicals - 7x1 = 7hours
Workshops - 4x1 = 4hours
Learning Activities Summary
Topics
- Types of Health States
- Measuring Health States
- Study Designs: Intervention Studies
- Study Designs: Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies
- Study Designs: Case-control and Ecological Studies
- Effect Measures
- Random Error and P-values
- Systematic Errors: Confounding, Selection and Information bias
- Critical Appraisal
- Screening
Specific Course Requirements
Not applicable.Small Group Discovery Experience
Not applicable. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Assessment Type Weighting Learning Outcome(s) being addressed Assignment 1 Summative 25% 1, 2, 3, 6 Assignment 2 Summative 25% 4-7 Online, open book exam Summative 50% 1-8 Assessment Related Requirements
N/AAssessment Detail
- Students are expected to prepare for tutorials by attempting the tutorial questions before the scheduled session.
- Students are expected to actively participate in tutorials and practicals.
- Students must submit both assignments to be permitted to sit the exam.
Submission
e-submission is required for both assignments.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
