Course information

Epidemiology for Public Health

6th semester / 2 ECTS

Coordinators:

• Evangelos Kritsotakis, Associate Professor of Biostatistics
• Izolde Bouloukaki, Assistant Professor of Primary Health Care and Public Health

Contributing professors:

• Ioanna Tsiligianni, Professor of General Medicine and Public Health
• Stamatis Karakonstantis, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
• Kyriaki Tryfinopoulou, Assistant Professor of Clinical Microbiology

Module aims and intended learning outcomes:

The module aims to provide a solid understanding of the principles and methods of Epidemiology, and the necessary skills to interpret epidemiological data in Public Health, Primary Health Care, and health services. The course is taught through lectures and practical exercises to translate theoretical knowledge into practice. The exercises can be problems, article discussions, or practical exercises in study design.

Upon successful completion of the module, the students will be able to: 

• Recognise the basic approach and evolution of Epidemiology and the fundamental concepts, terms, and applications in Public Health. 
• Describe, apply, and interpret frequency, morbidity, mortality, and disease correlation measures in population groups. 
• Explain the use, advantages, and disadvantages of different designs in observational epidemiological studies and experimental trials. 
• Recognise the main errors of epidemiological studies and the basic methods for identifying, preventing, and correcting them. 
• Summarise the applications, advantages, and weaknesses of routine epidemiological data, screening programs, and epidemiological surveillance systems. 
• Recognise and distinguish applications of behavioural and social epidemiology, infectious disease epidemiology, environmental epidemiology, and genetic and molecular epidemiology.

Assessment:

The assessment is conducted through a mid-semester progress (formative) exam and a written final (summative) exam.

Recommended textbooks:

1. Essentials of epidemiology in public health, 4th edition, Ann Aschengrau and George R. Seage III (Jones & Bartlett Learning, ISBN 9781284128352).
2. Epidemiology 101, 2nd edition, Robert H. Friis, 2018 (Jones & Bartlett Learning, ISBN 9781284107852).
3. Essential Epidemiology,4th edition by Penelope Webb, Chris Bain and Andrew Page, 2024 (Cambridge University PressISBN: 9781009415361, 9781009415323)