W.B. Saunders Co.
A brief Introduction to Basic Epidemiology
(Part I)
Who is Betty C. Jung? A brief bio...
- Content of this series of lectures are based on
materials that can be found in the following
texts.
References
Abramson, J.H. (1994). Making Sense of Data.
2nd Edition. NY: Oxford University Press.
Armenian, H.K., & Shapiro, S. (1998).
Epidemiology and Health Services. NY: Oxford
University Press.
Beaugelhole, R., & Kjellstrom, B.R. (1993).
Basic Epidemiology. Geneva: WHO.
Coggon, D., Rose, G. & Barker, D.J.P. (1993).
Epidemiology for the Uninitiated. (3rd Edition).
London: BMJ.
Friedman, G.D. (1994). Primer of Epidemiology.
4th Edition. NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Glaser, A.N. (1995). High-yield Biostatistics. PA:
Williams & Wilkins, Inc.
Halperin, W., Baker, E.L., & Monson, R.R.
(1992). Public Health Surveillance. NY: Van
Nostrand Reinhold.
Hanrahan, E.J., Madupu, G. (1994). Apelleton &
Lange's Review of Epidemiology & Biostatistics
for the USMLE.
Kazandjian, V.A. (1995). The Epidemiology of
Quality. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers.
Last, J. M. (1988). A Dictionary of
Epidemiology. NY: Oxford University Press.
Lilienfield, D.E., & Stolley, P.D. (1994).
Foundations of Epidemiology. NY: Oxford
University Press.
Mausner, J.S. & Kramer, S. (1985). Mausner &
Bahn's Epidemiology - An Introductory Text. PA:
Morton, R.F., Hebel, J.R., & McCarter, R.J.
(1990). A Study Guide to Epidemiology and
Biostatistics. Rockville, MD: Aspen
Publications.
Page, R.M., Cole, G.E. & Timmreck,T.E.
(1995).Basic Epidemiological Methods and
Biostatistics: A Practical Guide Book. Boston,
MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Rockett, I.R.H. (1994). Population and Health:
An Introduction to Epidemiology.
Selvin, S. (1991). Statistical Analysis of
Epidemiologic Data. NY: Oxford University
Press.
Streiner, D.L., Norman, G.R., & Blum, H.M.
(1989). PDQ Epidemiology. Philadelphia, PA:
B.C. Decker, Inc.
Teutsch, S.M. & Churchill, R.E. (1994).
Principles of Public Health Surveillance. NY:
Oxford University Press.
Timmreck, T.C. (1994). An Introduction to
Epidemiology. Boston, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Tufte, E.R. (1997). Visual Explanations: Images
and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative. CT:
Graphics Press.
Learning Objective
- To understand the role of Epidemiology in
Public Health Practice
- To understand the medical and public health
models of health and disease
- Epidemiology is the basic scientific tool with
which public health professionals use to study
disease. It is a perspective in which systematic
observation is the basis on which grounded
inferences can be made about observed
phenomena.
- It is also an excellent tool that is being adopted
by health sciences researchers to look at the
effectiveness of health delivery services, and
more specifically, medical interventions.
- More basic is the need to view Medicine as part
of Public Health, rather than vice versa. In
looking at health and disease, think of Medicine
as the "Specialist" approach, and Public Health,
the "Generalist" approach.
Performance Objective
- Basic understanding of the role
Epidemiology plays in Public Health Practice
- Basic understanding of how health and
disease are viewed from the Medical and
Public Health perspectives
- Solutions to problems are based on how one
frames the questions. So, when physicians and
public health professionals disagree on how to
address a health problem, it is because their
perspectives are different. Being different doesn't
necessarily mean either is wrong, when both may
be right. Sometimes, the difference may all be in
the sequence, or timing of events.
- Thus, an epidemiologist may be more adept in
identifying and preventing the spread of disease
among a population over time, but once the
disease has spread within an individual, then it's
time to call in the physician.

- Healthy People 2010 is a document

developed by the U.S. Public Health
Service, a federal public health agency,
to define what it considers important for
public health agencies and other
agencies (i.e., nonprofit, community) to
address in keeping the nation healthy. It
sets a 10-year agenda to accomplish
objectives that are measurable.
Measurability is important, especially if
you are interested in seeing progress

- Most essential services are for

survival of the species. But, if youre
interested in more than just survival,
then you will start thinking about quality
of life. Thats when Public Health
Services and Social Services become
essential. Unfortunately, quality is a
value-laden term, which means not
everyone agrees on what quality means.
Or, it means different things to different
people