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BMB833: Epidemiological methods in biomedicine (5 ECTS)

STADS: 01014601

Level
Master's level course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the spring semester.

Teacher responsible

Email: msoerensen@health.sdu.dk

Email: mnygaard@health.sdu.dk

Timetable

Group	Type	Day	Time	Classroom	Weeks
Common	I	Tuesday	14-15	U142	11
Common	I	Tuesday	10-11	U143	14
Common	I	Tuesday	09-10	U143	16
Common	I	Tuesday	08-09	U145	18
Common	I	Tuesday	10-11	U145	19
Common	I	Tuesday	12-13	U145	20
Common	I	Tuesday	09-10	U145	21
Common	I	Wednesday	12-13	U143	12-13
Common	I	Thursday	14-15	U143	17
H1	TE	Tuesday	15-18	U142	11
H1	TE	Tuesday	11-14	U143	14
H1	TE	Tuesday	10-13	U143	16
H1	TE	Tuesday	09-12	U145	18
H1	TE	Tuesday	11-14	U145	19
H1	TE	Tuesday	13-16	U145	20
H1	TE	Tuesday	10-13	U145	21
H1	TE	Wednesday	13-16	U143	12-13
H1	TE	Thursday	15-18	U143	17

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Prerequisites:
None.

Academic preconditions:
Students taking the course are expected to: <ul<

Have knowledge of mathematics, basic statistics and genetics, and be able to take part in group work and discussions.

Course introduction

The purpose of this course is to give an introduction to epidemiology, which is part of the quantitative research method that is used in research within biomedicine and health science.

Epidemiology is about the occurrence of diseases and health conditions in populations of humans and the study of associations. Thus, epidemiology includes, among other things, subjects like study designs including population-based and clinical studies, collection of data (for instance, register-based data, questionnaire data, and biological material), statistical analysis, and interpretation of results. For example, the association between biological parameters (like genetic variations) and diseases/health conditions is often investigated in epidemiological studies where biological material is included.

Through this course the student should gain insight into basic epidemiological terms and know the principles of formation and testing of scientific hypotheses. The student must be able to evaluate the use of these terms and methods both in the literature and in practice and to assess the results with the purpose of being able to understand clinical and health science articles and relate to these in a constructively critical manner.

The course is a basic course in epidemiology, and gives an academic basis for studying the epidemiology in individual projects or the master thesis, that are part of the degree.

In relation to the competence profile of the degree it is the explicit focus of the course to:

a. Give knowledge on basic epidemiological terms

b. Give skills to be able to critically evaluate studies within biomedicine and health science

c. Give knowledge on fundamental principles for statistical tests used within epidemiology, including data types and the principles for formation and testing of scientific hypotheses and understanding of test results

d. Give knowledge on potential sources of error (bias, confounding and effect modification) and skills to be able to evaluate the importance of these in biomedical and health science studies

e. Give skills in interpreting and evaluating the above points (a.-d.) within the framework of genetic epidemiology.

Expected learning outcome
The learning objectives of the course is that the student demonstrates the ability to:

Account for study designs, measures of frequency, measures of association, sources of error, and statistical analysis within epidemiology.
Choose and calculate relevant epidemiological measures and perform basic statistical analysis.
Interpret measures of frequency and assocation and evaluate and discuss the importance of sources of error in biomedical and health science studies.
Perform critical evaluation of hypotheses, study designs and approaches with regards to aim and results in studies within biomedicine and health science.
Account for, interpret and critically evaluate the above points (a.-d.) within the framework of genetic epidemiology.
Give written and oral presentations.

Subject overview
The following main topics are contained in the course:

Epidemiological study designs and hierarchy of evidence.
Epidemiological measures: measures of frequency and association.
Sources of error in epidemiological studies: validity and bias, including confounding and effect modification.
Basic statistical methods within epidemiology, including hypothesis testing.
Terms of relevance for clinical epidemiology, including sensitivity and specificity.
Terms of relevance for genetic epidemiology, including power calculations and multiple testing.

Literature
There isn't any litterature for the course at the moment.

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:

Written 3 hours essay assignment. (5 ECTS). All exam aids allowed, including computer and calculator. Pass/fail, internal marking. (01014602).

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.
Intro phase: 10 hours
Skills training phase: 30 hours, hereof:
- Tutorials: 30 hours

Educational activities

Read assigned literature prior to the tutorials.
Solve assignments prior to the tutorials.
Subsequent follow-up on subjects and assignments covered during the tutorials.
Repetition of the course content prior to the written exam.

Educational form
The tutorials will consist of assignment work and discussion in relation to the subjects of the course. Additionally, the tutorials will include group work on specific assignments/cases and/or scientific articles. It is expected that the students participate actively in these activities. Also, oral presentations are expected to be part of the tutorials.

Language
This course is taught in English, if international students participate. Otherwise the course is taught in Danish.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.