Course Information

Semester 1, 2016

Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and

Biostatistics
School of Medicine and Public Health
Faculty of Health
The University of Newcastle

EPID6420

EPID6420
Epidemiology A

Contents
1
2

Preface ................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 2
2.1
2.2
2.3

2.4
2.5

2.6

2.7
2.8

Aims ........................................................................................................................................................... 2
Course Objectives ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Course Content .......................................................................................................................................... 3
2.3.1
Time Commitments .................................................................................................................... 3
2.3.2
Modules...................................................................................................................................... 3
2.3.3
Course Schedule ........................................................................................................................ 4
On-Campus Tutorials ................................................................................................................................ 4
Learning Resources .................................................................................................................................. 4
Prescribed Textbook(s)................................................................................................................................ 4
Useful References ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Online Resources ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Assessment Items ..................................................................................................................................... 6
2.6.1
Marked Assignments .................................................................................................................. 6
2.6.2
Essays/Written Assignments ...................................................................................................... 7
2.6.3
Online Examination .................................................................................................................... 7
Course Evaluation and Development ....................................................................................................... 8
Important Additional Information ............................................................................................................. 8
2.8.1
My UoN ...................................................................................................................................... 8
2.8.2
UoNline (Blackboard) ................................................................................................................. 8
2.8.3
UoN Library ................................................................................................................................ 8
2.8.4
UoN Policy Library ...................................................................................................................... 9

2016 The University of Newcastle, Australia

EPID6420 Course Information

Preface
Course Code:

EPID6420

Course Title:

Epidemiology A

Unit Value:

10

Term:

Semester 1, 2016

Mode of Delivery:

On campus and/or online

Campus:

1.
2.
3.

Callaghan campus
WebLearn, GradSchool.com
Sydney Campus

CRICOS Provider No: 00109J (The University of Newcastle)

Assumed Knowledge: N/A
Course Requisites:

Nil

Contact Hours:

1. Self-Directed Learning for 8 hours per week for full term.

2. Online Discussion Group for 2 hours per week for full term.
Contact hours are an indication only.

Workload:

Students are required to spend on average 120 140 hours of effort or total
load (contact and non-contact including assessment) per term per 10 unit
value, whatever the discipline or the mode of delivery of the Course

Core Component:

This course is a Compulsory Program Component of the following

Programs:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Course Coordinator:

Graduate Certificate in Clinical Epidemiology

Graduate Certificate in Health Science (Drug and Alcohol)
Graduate Certificate in Health Science (Stroke Management)
Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology
Graduate Diploma in Medical Statistics
Master of Clinical Epidemiology
Master of Health Science
Master of Medical Statistics
Master of Public Health

Dr Milton Hasnat
Questions about academic content of the course should be directed to Dr
Hasnat using the Blackboard email system or by posting questions in the
Blackboard discussion area.
Email: Milton.Hasnat@newcastle.edu.au

School Office:

School of Medicine and Public Health,

Faculty of Health
Email: smph-pg@newcastle.edu.au

GradSchool:

Email: postgradstudy@newcastle.edu.au
Phone +61 2 4921 8856

Academic Misconduct: Academic integrity, honesty, and a respect for knowledge, truth and ethical
practices are fundamental to the business of the University. These principles

EPID6420 Course Information

are at the core of all academic endeavour in teaching, learning and research.
Dishonest practices contravene academic values, compromise the integrity
of research and devalue the quality of learning. To preserve the quality of
learning for the individual and others, the University may impose severe
sanctions on activities that undermine academic integrity.
The Student Academic Integrity Policy, Student Academic Integrity
Procedure and Student Misconduct Rule are available in the University
Policy Library at http://www.newcastle.edu.au/policy/000608.html, and
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/policy/000935.html, respectively.

Alteration of this Course Outline

No alteration to the approved course outline will be permitted without Head of School approval.
Students will be notified of any change and the revised Course Outline will be provided to students
in the same manner as the original.

Introduction
Epidemiology is the study of disease in groups, or, as defined in the Dictionary of Epidemiology (Last,
2000) the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified
populations, and the application of this study to the control of health problems. It is a research tool
and one of the basic methodologies of Public Health.

2.1

Aims
Whether it is part of traditional epidemiology, e.g., linking blood pressure and heart attacks, or
clinical epidemiology, e.g., evidence-based medicine, the main work of an epidemiologist is to
establish causation in a way that is free from error. Epidemiology will give you the tools to evaluate
whether A really leads to B, or whether the conclusions of a study really show what the authors
claim. To this end the student will:

2.2

be able to formulate research questions

be able to design a study to address that question
be able to analyse the data resulting from such a study
be able to critique the methods used.

Course Objectives
Specific learning objectives are outlined in each module, but the broad objectives of the course
correspond to each module. The student will:
1.

understand the principles of causation, and understand the errors that can weaken the
demonstration of a causative link

2.

understand the measures used to describe the health of populations

3.

understand and analyse results from various study designs

4.

understand the basics of investigating an epidemic

5.

be able to critically appraise a study.

EPID6420 Course Information

2.3

2.3.1

Course Content

Time Commitments
When delivering the on-campus version of this course, each module is usually delivered over 2
weeks, each week consisting of 2-3 hours of class time and an expected 4-6 hours of preparation
time/assignment time. Hence, each module should take between 10-18 hours to work through in the
on-line format.

2.3.2

Modules
Module 1 Causation and Error
This module introduces you to some of the most important concepts in epidemiology. Establishing
causation is a large part of an epidemiologists work and Bradford Hills postulates of causality are
described and discussed. Errors in establishing causation are broken down into random error, also
called chance, and systematic error, also called bias. The nature and implications of a range of
important biases frequently present in epidemiological research are discussed. We discuss the
complementary concepts of precision (lack of random error) and validity (lack of systematic error).
Finally, confounding is defined and examples given.

Module 2 Health Indicators

Establishing causation at a population level requires knowing a certain vocabulary. This module
covers some of the core measures used in describing populations. It starts by defining ratios,
proportions and rates, and explains the differences between them. You are shown how to calculate
incidence and prevalence and how to use both direct and indirect methods for standardising rates.
Issues pertaining to the relative deficiencies of some currently used health indicators are addressed,
and practical examples show how the various types of data can be used to investigate health
problems.

Module 3 Research Design

Establishing causation at an individual level follows certain principles. This module covers the basic
principles of developing research questions, testable hypotheses and study objectives, providing
examples of each. A basic introduction to the most common research designs used in epidemiology
follows, including cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies and randomised controlled trials.
A brief discussion of some of the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy is undertaken and
the analysis of results from each design is explained.

Module 4 Critical Appraisal

In this module you will look at studies in reverse; instead of starting with study design and ending
with a conclusion you will begin with conclusions and judge whether there were any biases in the
design that make the study invalid.

Module 5 Research Strategies for Epidemics

In this module, you are provided with a step-by-step guide to investigating disease epidemics. You
will learn how to construct epidemic curves and critically examine reports of epidemic

EPID6420 Course Information

investigations. At the conclusion of this module you would be expected to be able to apply the
principles learnt to a number of different situations.

2.3.3

Course Schedule

Table 1

Weekly Schedule
Semester Week

Date

Module

Mon 22 February 2016

1- Causation and Error

Mon 29 February 2016

1- Causation and Error

Mon 7 March 2016

2- Health indicators

Mon 14 March 2016

2- Health indicators

Mon 21 March 2016

3- Observational studies

Assignment & evaluation

due

MA1

Semester 1 Recess (includes Easter)

Fri 25 March Friday 8 April 2016

6

Mon 11 April 2016

3- Observational studies

Mon 18 April 2016

3- RCT
Anzac Day

Mon 25 April 2016

8

Tues 26 April 2016

MA2

3- RCT

Mon 2 May 2016

4 - Critical Appraisal

10

Mon 9 May 2016

4 - Critical Appraisal

11

Mon 16 May 2016

5- Epidemic Investigation

12

Mon 23 May 2016

5- Epidemic Investigation

13

Mon 30 May 2016

Revision

MA3

Online Examination
Date to be advised
MA=Marked Assignment

2.4

On-Campus Tutorials
For Students attending on-campus tutorials, please check Online Services Timetables or Blackboard
for Tutorial times and location.

2.5

Learning Resources
Please ensure that you have the following.

The Prescribed Textbook (Supplied)

Reliable web access

Contact GradSchool Logistics (gradschoolmaterials@newcastle.edu.au) if you have any queries.

Prescribed Textbook(s)
Gordis L. Epidemiology (4th Edition). Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders, 2009.

EPID6420 Course Information

Useful References
Fletcher RH, Fletcher SW. Clinical epidemiology: The essentials. 4th ed. Baltimore: Lippincott
Williams & Williams; 2005.
Last JM, editor. A dictionary of epidemiology. 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2000.
Lilienfield DE, Stolley PD. Foundations of epidemiology. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press;
1994.
Rothman K. Greenland S. Modern Epidemiology: 3rd Edition. Wolters Kluwer | Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins, 2008.
Sackett DL, Haynes RB, Tugwell P, Guyatt GH. Clinical epidemiology: A basic science for clinical
medicine. 2nd ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publishers; 1991.

Online Resources
Epidemiology Links
These links are meant to give you a different perspective on the concepts discussed in the modules
and should be useful in clarifying certain ideas and generating discussion. The links were last
checked on 1 November 2007.
1.

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco

http://www.epibiostat.ucsf.edu/epidem/epidem.html
Site with multiple links to other sites, including:

2.

public health units around the world

university epidemiology sites
cancer epidemiology sites
specialized sites such as diabetes, molecular and genetic epi, cardiovascular
biostatistics support
links to glossaries and courses online

JAMAevidence
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/library/database-and-eresources/databases.html
Excellent site with all the McMaster papers on Users guides to the literature, along with
worksheets, problem scenarios to work through, and questions and answers to the scenarios.
Covers harm, prognosis, diagnosis, treatment, as well as more advanced modules on metaanalysis, guidelines, decision-analysis, etc.
Please note that this is a limited subscription site so you may not be able to access the site
immediately. Once you have finished, ensure you log out so other users can access the site.

3.

Supercourse: Epidemiology, the Internet and Global Health

http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/
A site run by the Global Health Network University under the auspices of the BMJ. The site
covers many general epidemiology topics such as: disease monitoring in the population, why
medical students should be interested in Epidemiology, Clinical Trial Concepts, Rates, Ratios,
and Proportions, Epidemiologic Design I (focus on descriptive study ), Epidemiologic Design II
(focus on analytic study). As part of its online resources, there is access to the textbooks
Epidemiology for the Uninitiated, Biostatistics at Square One, and How to read a paper: The
basics of EBM, as well as links to many other online journals and epidemiology sites.

EPID6420 Course Information

4.

Oxford-Centre for Evidence Based Medicine

http://www.cebm.net/
Useful sections here are the EBM tool box, how to practice and teach evidence-based medicine,
the CAT bank (critical appraised topics provides good examples), teaching materials and
teaching activities, and CAMS (Critical Appraisal for Medical Students). Table that
automatically calculates AR, ARR, RR, RRR, NNT, sensitivity, specificity, LR. Also has EBM
glossary and tips on how to search effectively.

5.

Bandolier
http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/
The first issue of Bandolier, an independent journal about evidence-based healthcare, was
printed in February 1994. It has appeared monthly ever since and has become the premier
source of evidence based healthcare information in the UK and worldwide for both healthcare
professionals and consumers.

6.

PubMed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
PubMed comprises more than 21 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life
science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed
Central and publisher web sites

7.

The University of Illinois at Chicago - Library of the Health Sciences - Evidence Based Medicine
http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/lhsp/resources/ebm.shtml
Provides information on EBM principles when using MEDLINE, evaluating data and interacting
with patients.
HEALTHWEB at the University of Illinois. A starting point for locating resources about
Evidence Based Medicine.

8.

The Cochrane Library

http://www.cochrane.org/cochrane-reviews
The Cochrane Collaboration Database of Systematic Reviews

9.

The University of York - NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination

http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/
A source of review article abstracts.

2.6

2.6.1

Assessment Items

Marked Assignments
Assessment will be based on three marked assignments and a take home exam. The marked
assignments will be posted on Blackboard during semester. The relative weightings of each are
listed in the table below.

EPID6420 Course Information

2.6.2

Essays/Written Assignments
Students may be required to provide written assessment items in electronic form and as hard copy.
For details of assessment see Section 3 below.

Submission of Essays and Assignments

All essays and assignments must be submitted online through the links provided in Blackboard.
Table 2

2.6.3

Assessment Schedule
Form of Assessment

Due date

Marked Assignment 1
(MA1)

Mon 21 March 2016

Marked Assignment 2
(MA2)

Weighting

Relevant course
aims/objectives

Returnable
Item
(Yes/No)

15%

Addresses Course
Objectives 1 and 2 above

Yes

Tues 26 April 2016

15%

Addresses Course
Objectives 3 and 4 above

Yes

Marked Assignment 3
(MA3)

Mon 16 May 2016

30%

Addresses Course Objective

5 above

Yes

Online Examination

To be advised

40%

Addresses all the Course

Objectives above

No

Online Examination
An online exam is a variation of the open book exam. It aims to allow students to produce wellwritten and well-thought-out responses to the exam questions.
The exam paper will be made available in Blackboard from where you will be able to download it.
You will be required to complete the answers within a specified time period and then upload them
to Turnitin via Blackboard. The main restriction for the take home exam is that it must be your own
work; you must attempt it by yourself without any help from others. Students are strictly advised
not to discuss the exam questions amongst themselves or with others during the examination
period. This includes not using online discussion. The University policy on academic integrity will
apply in any case of violation of this.
When completing the online exam you may use:

the course modules

computer and CDROM
the course texts, references and readings
lectures/tutorial content posted in Blackboard
messages posted on Blackboard prior to the examination
your own ability to think critically and independently about the questions.

No other resources are required.

No extensions will be granted for submission of the answer paper unless there are very good
reasons (e.g., illness).
The online examination will not be returned to the student after marking.

EPID6420 Course Information

2.7

Course Evaluation and Development

Each year feedback is sought from students and other stakeholders about the courses offered in the
University for the purposes of identifying areas of excellence and potential improvement. The key
themes of previous feedback and any major changes that were made as a consequence of this are
outlined below:

2.8

2.8.1

Substantial updates of all the modules

Updates of the references and links
Provision of audio version of the lectures

Important Additional Information

My UoN
Log on via:
https://sso.newcastle.edu.au/cas/login?service=https%3A%2F%2Fmyuon.newcastle.edu.au%2Fpaf%
2Fauthorize
This portal contains all your essential online systems:

2.8.2

Email
UoNline
Mylibrary
myHub
Student Forms (eg Application for Adverse Circumstances, disability support etc)

UoNline (Blackboard)
Log on via: https://uonline.newcastle.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp
This portal contains:

Your online course material and course outline

Online submission to Turnitin
My Grades
Help for students: Other useful information you can link to:

Note:

2.8.3

Student services
Assessment and examination information
Academic and student expectations
Complaints
Dean of students
Rules governing awards
Please refer to Systems Requirements in UoNline for the recommended browsers to use for
best access to Blackboard.

UoN Library
(http://www.newcastle.edu.au/library)

Course Reserves (formerly Short Loans): http://www.newcastle.edu.au/library/borrow/coursereserves-short-loans

EPID6420 Course Information

2.8.4

NewCat+ Library Catalogue: http://encore.newcastle.edu.au/iii/encore/?lang=eng

Referencing and Style Guides: http://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/referencing
Endnote: http://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/endnote
InfoSkills: An online information literacy tutorial that will introduce you to the basics of
planning research, finding and evaluating information, library research, academic writing,
avoiding plagiarism and using information ethically.
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/Resources/Divisions/Academic/Library/informationskills/infoskills/index.html

UoN Policy Library

http://www.newcastle.edu.au/policy/
The University's Policy Library contains a range of policy documents that detail the rules and
requirements for a broad range of matters that concern students.