Epidemiology Class Notes 2012-09-20

Pop Quiz

• What does “aetiological” mean?
• In doing a prognostic or survival study, would you adopt a case-control, a cross-sectional, or a cohort design?
• What are “hospital controls”?

Basic Research Designs

Descriptive versus Analytic. Introduction to the Island.

Interventional

The classical experiment:

• Treatment and Control
• Randomization (why)

Details:

• Crossover design
• Historical “controls”

Observational

• Cross-sectional
• Cohort
• Case-Control
• Ecological
• Record linkage
• Case-crossover.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION:

You have been tasked by President Rosenberg to find out if the Writing requirement is effective at Macalester. You have access to students and to the registrar's records.

• You have one week to give your report. Design an appropriate study.
• You have one year to give your report. Design an appropriate study.

Ethics:

• Nuremberg Code

  • Work through the basics:
    • voluntary consent.
    • Beneficence
    • Plausibility and scientific basis
  • Note the qualifications: ¶4 “avoid all unnecessary physical and mental suffering and injury”; ¶5 “death or disabling injury will occur” (as opposed to “may occur”); ¶6 the “degree of risk to be taken”
  • Some things seem odd today. Note especially ¶5.

• Declaration of Helsinki.

  • Original version from 1964
  • Current version 2008.
    * Note procedural components, e.g. ¶15 This comes from the first revision in 1975
  • Controveries, e.g. use of placebos as controls in poor countries. (See Fourth revision) * Note the use of words like “any” and “all”, e.g. “not be subject to any risk” in ¶32 * Right to share in “any” benefits that result from it ¶33

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: handout

Age Adjustment Activity

From Tuesday

Live Expectancy Activity

From Tuesday