LO: Describe the various sources of epidemiological data and the ways in which these data are used

Epidemiology

• Study of distribution and determinants of diseases among populations
• Used to plan and evaluate strategies to prevent illness and as a guide to the management of patients in whom disease has already developed
• Frequency and pattern of health events in a population

Mortality rate - frequency of occurrence of death in a defined population during a specified interval

Case fatality - deaths assigned to a specific cause during a given time interval, relative to total number of cases

Endemic - habitual presence of a disease within a given geographical area

Outbreak - sudden increase in occurrence of a disease

Epidemic - serious outbreak in a single community, population or region

Pandemic - epidemic which is spreading around the world

Collection of data

• Describe the burden/potential for disease
• Monitor changes in disease prevalence over time
• Detect sudden changes in disease occurrence
• Collect cause of death data - autopsy

Sources of data

• Birth/death certificates
• Census records
• Medical records
• Disease registries
• Insurance claims
• Surveys of individuals
• Public health department case reports

International classification of diseases (ICD)

• Common classification system
• Foundation for the identification of health trends and statistics globally
• Reporting diseases and health conditions
• Easy storage, retrieval and analysis of health information for evidence-based decision-making
• Sharing/comparing health information between hospitals, regions, settings and countries
• Data comparisons in the same location across different time periods

The global burden of disease (GBD)

• Most comprehensive worldwide observational epidemiological study to date
• Describes mortality and morbidity from major diseases, injuries and risk factors to health at global, regional and national levels

Public health

• Science of art of preventing disease through the organised efforts and informed choices of society, organisations and individuals

flowchart LR
	Problem --> A[Risk and preventive factors]
	A --> B[Develop and test prevention strategies]
	B --> C[Assure widespread adoption]