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Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidence-based practice by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive healthcare.
- Aims
- Descriptive/Analytic Epidemiology
- Surveillance Studies
- Definition and Origin of Term
- History
- Important Concepts/Terms
- Calculating Disease Rates
- Process of Epidemiological Investigations
- Professions in Epidemiology
- Population-Based Health Management
Epidemiologists aim to understand the causes of health problems by looking at the relationship between agents, hosts, and environmental factors that affect health. Using these information, they also design public health interventions to solve various health problems in populations. They regularly evaluate the health of populations, try to identify ...
There are two types of epidemiology: descriptive and analytic. Descriptive epidemiology aims to describe the distribution of people who gets sick (compared with those who don't) with regards to time, place, and person (TPP). It can be thought of as answering the questions of when, who, and what respectively. It investigates when a health issue or d...
Surveillance studies provide the numerical data and statistics that epidemiologists use. Surveillance studies are done to monitor the health of populations and help with identifying any new health problems or disease that may develop, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of existing health intervention measures in place. These studies also rely ...
Epidemiology means "the study of what is upon the people". The word derived from the Greek terms epi = upon, among; demos = people, district; logos = study, word, discourse. It applies only to human populations. But the term is used in studies of zoologicalpopulations 'epizoology', and plant populations.
Hippocrates was the first who looked at the relationships between disease and environmental influences. He drew the distinction between 'epidemic' and 'endemic': diseases that are 'visited upon' a population (epidemic) as contrasted with those that 'live within' a population (endemic). The Persian physician Avicenna in the 1020s, discovered the con...
There are several very key terms that epidemiologists use when discussing population health and disease outbreaks. Some of the key concepts that are important to understand when discussing epidemiology: 1. Cases: refers specifically to those people who are sick with a disease/health condition or injured 2. Epidemic / Outbreak: is the occurrence of ...
Rates refers to the number of cases occurring during a specific period of time and depends on the population size at that time. Calculating disease rates helps epidemiologists to compare health issues among different populations. The general calculation for determining disease rate is to divide the number of cases or health condition by the number ...
Investigating an outbreak is a very involved multi-step process which ranges from first establishing the existence of an outbreak to communicating the findings of the investigation with the scientific community as well as the general population. The following is a rough sequence of the process of these investigations. 1. Establish that there is an ...
Epidemiology is a multidisciplinary subject. It includes public health care workers and scientists from fields such as chemists, biologists, geneticists, and anthropologists. They may work in hospital and research settings, as well as for government organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Epidemic Intelligenc...
Epidemiological practice and the results of epidemiological analysis make a significant contribution to health management 1. Assess the health states and needs of a target population 2. Implement and evaluate interventions 3. Provide care for members of that population Modern population-based health management is complex. Epidemiological practice a...
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Neil Ferguson (epidemiologist) Neil Morris Ferguson OBE FMedSci (born 1968) is a British epidemiologist [3] and professor of mathematical biology, who specialises in the patterns of spread of infectious disease in humans and animals. He is the director of the Jameel Institute, and of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, and ...
- John Wheater
- Mathematical modelling of the COVID-19 pandemic
John Snow (15 March 1813 – 16 June 1858) was an English physician and a leader in the development of anaesthesia and medical hygiene. He is considered one of the founders of modern epidemiology and early germ theory , in part because of his work in tracing the source of a cholera outbreak in London's Soho , which he identified as a particular ...
- 16 June 1858 (aged 45), London, England
- 15 March 1813, York, England
David Michaels is an American epidemiologist and professor in the Departments of Environmental and Occupational Health and Epidemiology at the Milken Institute School of Public Health of the George Washington University.
- Edwin Foulke, Jordan Barab (acting)
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Lawrence Brilliant (born May 5, 1944) is an American epidemiologist, technologist, philanthropist, and author, who worked with the World Health Organization from 1973–1976 helping to successfully eradicate smallpox. Brilliant, a technology patent holder, has been the CEO of public companies and venture backed start-ups.
Epidemiology investigates the patterns of diseases and other illnesses to help protect the health and safety of our communities. An epidemiologist looks at reoccurring patterns, trends and data related to a disease or illness and establishes risk assessments and predictions of what to expect next.