Class Periods: Tuesday 11:45 a.m. - 1:40 p.m. (5th & 6th Periods) Thursday 11:45 a.m. - 12:35 p.m. (5th Period)

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1 HSC 4950: Introduction to Epidemiology (Honors Course) Department of Health Education & Behavior University of Florida Section 01D1, 3 Credits Instructor: Robert M. Weiler, PhD, MPH Professor Room 16, Florida Gym (FLG) , ext (fax) rweiler@hhp.ufl.edu Class Periods: Tuesday 11:45 a.m. - 1:40 p.m. (5th & 6th Periods) Thursday 11:45 a.m. - 12:35 p.m. (5th Period) Class Location: FLG 245 Department Chair Office Hours: Jay M. Bernhardt Professor Room 5, FLG , ext.: 1295 jaybernhardt@ufl.edu Tuesday 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., or by appointment. Scheduled appointments are recommended. Course Description Students explore the basic principles of epidemiology, examining the determinants of major public health problems including infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, environmental health, and emerging threats. Students develop applied epidemiology competencies in public health surveillance and outbreak investigation using case studies where they apply their knowledge and skills to solve real life public health problems. Course Objectives: By the completion of this course students should be able to: 1. Define epidemiology and related terms associated with public health practice. 2. Describe the principal characteristics and applications of descriptive and analytical epidemiology. 3. Calculate, interpret, and apply basic measures of morbidity, mortality, associations, and public health impact. 4. Describe the purpose and characteristics of public health surveillance. 5. Describe sources of data and data collection systems commonly used for public health surveillance. 6. Describe the steps of an outbreak investigation. 7. Describe the major types of epidemiologic research (experimental, cohort, and case-control) and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each. Course Textbook Gordis, L. (2009). Epidemiology. (4 th Ed). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, Elsevier, Inc. Students must register for free electronic subscription of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Go to: HONORS EPI-SYLLABUS-F2011 V3.DOCX / August 19,

2 Supplemental Materials A calculator with square root and logarithmic functions. Assignments, Point Values, and Grading Scale Exams (300 points): There are three exams. Exams #1 and #3 will cover the topics, content, and concepts as presented in the text, lecture, and supplemental materials posted on Sakai and distributed in class. These two exams may include multiple choice questions, matching, short answer, and essay questions. Exam #2 is an open-book examination designed to assess your mastery of the basic epidemiologic calculations learned in class. For each exam, you will need two, sharp, #2 pencils with a functional eraser and for exam #2 be sure to bring a calculator. Check the course outline for exam dates. Descriptive Epidemiology Paper (100 points) The purpose of the descriptive epidemiological paper is to provide you an opportunity to systematically investigate and prepare a comprehensive description of a specific disease or health condition. Additional details about the paper may be found in the Descriptive Epidemiology Paper Guidelines distributed in class or available on Sakai. The paper is due on Thursday, November 7, 2011 Class Participation (50 points). This course includes various in-class discussion activities, exercises, case studies, and homework assignments to help you apply what you learn from your reading assignments and in class. Each activity will be worth 5 to 10 points. Class participation activities will not be accepted after their due date and cannot be made up. (see Late Assignment Policy, p. 3) Assignments Point Values Final Grade Scale Grade Points 1. Exam #1 100 A = 93.5% and above Exam #2 100 A- = % Exam #3 100 B+ = % Descriptive Epidemiology Paper 100 B = Class Participation 50 B- = % 2.67 Total 450 C+ = % 2.33 C = % 2.0 C- = % 1.67 D+ = % 1.33 D = D- = %.67 E = < 60% 0 WF, I, NG, S-U 0 HONORS EPI-SYLLABUS-F2011 V3.DOCX / August 19,

3 Readings Assignments: In order to develop a deep understanding of the concepts and principles of epidemiology, students are strongly encouraged to read and study the relevant chapters and sections that parallel the topics presented in the syllabus. Not all assigned readings will be covered in class. More time may be spent on certain topics covered in the reading materials than others. Read carefully and critically. Pay close attention to main headings, and study key words, tables, and figures. Identify questions for class. Academic Honesty/ UF Student Honor Code: AThe University of Florida requires all members of its community to be honest in all their endeavors. Students are required to commit themselves to academic honesty by signing a prescribed basic statement, including the Student Honor Code, as part of the registration process.a As a member of the UF community, students pledge on their honor to neither give nor receive unauthorized aid while working or completing assignments and examinations. AAny individual who becomes aware of a violation of the Student Honor Code is bound by honor to take corrective action.@ Violations of the UF Academic Honesty Guidelines will not be tolerated and violators will be treated in accordance with the UF Student Honor Code. For more information please consult the Student Conduct Code, the Graduate Student Handbook or this web site for more details: Attendance: Although attendance is not mandatory, students are expected to prepare for and attend all class sessions and complete all assignments. Contributing to the class discussions is expected as well. Remember, poor attendance and being unprepared for class will affect your grade. Also, course-related announcements are often made during class with no reminders. Therefore, when you anticipate missing a class or if you miss a class make sure you get a copy of any notes, handouts, assignments, etc. from a classmate. Remember to bring your textbook to every class session. Assignments: Students are expected to do their own work. It is a good idea to make multiple back-up copies of all your work. Major assignments will not be returned. All written work must be typed. Unless otherwise prescribed, form and style must follow rules and guidelines as outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Edition, July 2001). Late Assignment Policy: Assignments will be collected at the beginning of class on their due dates. Assignments not submitted at the time they are collected will be considered late. Assignments submitted up to 24 hours late will be accepted but the grade for the assignment will be reduced by 15% of the grade you would have otherwise received. Assignments submitted after the 24 hour grace period will not be accepted. Class participation activities will not be accepted after their due date and cannot be made up. Testing, Exam Reviews, and Grade Appeal Policy: Students who arrive after the first person completes their exam will not be allowed to sit for that examination (see policy for missed exams). I will discuss the answers to all exams in class. It is your responsibility to review your grade on each exam, exercise, case study, etc. when they are returned. After grades are returned in class, students have one week to appeal the grade. After one week, a grade will not be changed. Policy for Missed Exams: Students who miss Exam #1 or Exam #2 are allowed to take a make-up exam at the time of Exam #3. The make-up exam is a comprehensive exam covering course material for the entire semester. The raw score on the make-up exam will serve as the grade for Exam #1 or Exam #2 (whichever applies) and for Exam #3. Exam #3 cannot be made up. Exams must be taken when scheduled. HONORS EPI-SYLLABUS-F2011 V3.DOCX / August 19,

4 Commercial Sale of Course Lectures: The content presented in the class is the property of the instructor and UF and may not be duplicated in any format without permission from the instructor, and may not be used for any commercial purposes. Students violating this policy may be subject to discipline under the UF Conduct Code. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Students requesting specific classroom accommodations must provide the instructor with an accommodation letter from the Disability Resource Center (Dean of Students Office) by the end of the second full week of the semester verifying their eligibility and specifying their level of support. Students experiencing difficulty with the course readings, lectures, assignments, or examinations are encouraged to talk with the instructor. Course Assistance: If you have questions about course expectations or the grading procedures, or if you have difficulty with the course content, the readings, the lectures, the class activities, or the assignments, please see me. Don=t wait until it=s too late. Counseling and Student Health: Students occasionally have personal issues that arise in the course of pursuing higher education or that interfere with their academic performance. If you find yourself facing problems affecting your coursework, you are encouraged to talk with an instructor and to seek confidential assistance at the University of Florida Counseling Center, , or Student Mental Health Services, Visit their web sites for more information: or The Student Health Care Center at Shands is a satellite clinic of the main Student Health Care Center located on Fletcher Drive on campus. Student Health at Shands offers a variety of clinical services, including primary care, women's health care, immunizations, mental health care, and pharmacy services. The clinic is located on the second floor of the Dental Tower in the Health Science Center. For more information, contact the clinic at or check out the web site at: Crisis intervention is always available 24/7 from: Alachua County Crisis Center: (352) Classroom Etiquette: To minimize disruptions students are asked to arrive to class a few minutes early so that we can start on time. I recommend that you arrive to class 10 minutes early on the day of exams. Turn off cell phones, smart phones, laptops, and all other electronic devices before entering the classroom. You may be asked to leave class if found violating this policy. Students are expected to be courteous and civil to others at all times. While university policy does not allow eating or drinking in any classroom, drinking bottled water is permissible. HONORS EPI-SYLLABUS-F2011 V3.DOCX / August 19,

5 Tentative Course Outline Week Date Topic Readings 1 Foundations of Epidemiology Aug 23 Aug 25 Definitions of Epidemiology Brief History of Disease, Science, & Epidemiology Uses and Core Epidemiologic Functions Chapter 1 2 The Epidemiologic Approach Aug 30 Sept 1 Descriptive Epidemiology Analytical Epidemiology 3 Concepts of Disease Occurrence and Transmission Sept 6 Epidemiologic Triad/Tetrad Natural History of Disease Characteristics of Infectious Disease Chain of Infection Multi-Causality / Web of Causation Chapter 2 Sept 8 4 Epidemic Disease Occurrence Sept 13 Levels of Disease Epidemic Patterns Sept 15 Exam #1 5 Measures of Risk Sept 20 Sept 22 Frequency Measures Morbidity Measures Mortality Measures Natality (Birth) Measures Chapter 3 Chapter 4 6 Measures of Association and Public Health Impact Sept 27 Sept 29 Risk Ratio (Relative Risk) Rate Ratio Odds Ratio Attributable Proportion (Attributable Risk Percent) Vaccine Efficacy Chapter 11 7 Review & Exam OCT 4 OCT 6 Exam #2 (Bring a Calculator) HONORS EPI-SYLLABUS-F2011 V3.DOCX / August 19,

6 Tentative Course Outline 8 OCT 11 Public Health Surveillance Purpose and Characteristics of Surveillance Identifying Health Problems for Surveillance Sources of Data OCT 13 9 Investigating Outbreaks OCT 18 Introduction to Investigating Outbreaks Steps of an Outbreak Investigation OCT OCT 25 The Disease Detectives Guest Lecture Jaret, P. (1991) Pealer, L, et al. (2003) OCT American Public Health Association Annual Meeting NOV 1 NOV 3 TBA TBA Descriptive Epi Paper Due 12 Experimental Studies NOV 8 Randomized Control Trials Chapter 7, 8 NOV 10 Epi Paper Due 13 Observational Studies NOV 15 Cohort Studies Case-Control Studies Chapter 9, 10 NOV 17 Cross-Sectional Studies Chapter Genetic & Environmental Factors NOV 22 Guest Lecture Chapter 16 NOV 24 Thanksgiving Holiday No Class 15 Epidemiology From Theory to Practice NOV 29 Guest Lecture Chapter 19 DEC 1 16 Epilog DEC 6 Exam #3 HONORS EPI-SYLLABUS-F2011 V3.DOCX / August 19,