.
Research Methodology and Epidemiology
Study Course Description
Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:12.00
Study Course Accepted:09.09.2024 09:13:14
| Study Course Information | |||||||||
| Course Code: | SVUEK_121 | LQF level: | Level 7 | ||||||
| Credit Points: | 2.00 | ECTS: | 3.00 | ||||||
| Branch of Science: | Clinical Medicine | Target Audience: | Medicine | ||||||
| Study Course Supervisor | |||||||||
| Course Supervisor: | Mirdza Kursīte | ||||||||
| Study Course Implementer | |||||||||
| Structural Unit: | Institute of Public Health | ||||||||
| The Head of Structural Unit: | |||||||||
| Contacts: | Riga, 9 Kronvalda boulevard, svek rsu[pnkts]lv, +37167338307 | ||||||||
| Study Course Planning | |||||||||
| Full-Time - Semester No.1 | |||||||||
| Lectures (count) | 0 | Lecture Length (academic hours) | 0 | Total Contact Hours of Lectures | 0 | ||||
| Classes (count) | 11 | Class Length (academic hours) | 3 | Total Contact Hours of Classes | 33 | ||||
| Total Contact Hours | 33 | ||||||||
| Study course description | |||||||||
| Preliminary Knowledge: | Basics of human anatomy, histology, and physiology; basic arithmetic. | ||||||||
| Objective: | To provide the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in research methodology necessary to read scientific literature, apply principles of evidence-based medicine, develop critical thinking, and promote further research activities. | ||||||||
| Topic Layout (Full-Time) | |||||||||
| No. | Topic | Type of Implementation | Number | Venue | |||||
| 1 | Introduction to health research. Research process. Research ethics. Scientific problem. Research question, hypothesis, aim and objectives. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 2 | Literature search. Types of scientific literature. Narrative review and systematic review. Types of data. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 3 | Epidemiology and evidence-based medicine. Causality. Risk factor. Causal model: exposure, outcome and confounders. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 4 | Basic epidemiological measures: prevalence, cumulative incidence and incidence rate. Standardized death rate. Case fatality. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 5 | Data collection and evaluation. Diagnostic tests. Reliability and accuracy. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values. ROC curve. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 6 | Random errors and biases. Study designs. Case series. Ecological study. Cross-sectional and sampling. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 7 | Cohort study. Measures of association: relative risk measures (risk ratio, rate ratio), attributable risk, attributable fraction. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 8 | Case-control study. Case definion. Association measures: odds ratio. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 9 | Experimental studies. Prevention studies. Clinical trials. Association measures. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 10 | Presenting research results and scientific writing. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 11 | Presentations of students’ independent work. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| Assessment | |||||||||
| Unaided Work: | Individual reading of literature. Self-assessment tests. Preparing a brief review of research methodology in published scientific papers. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal. | ||||||||
| Assessment Criteria: | The final grade is a cumulative assessment of: a. 15% – class attendance and participation; b. 40% – three in-class assignments; c. 45% – final independent group work and its presentation (analysis and comparison of 3 to 4 scientific primary publications on one research question). | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Full-Time): | Exam (Written) | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Part-Time): | |||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | |||||||||
| Knowledge: | • Explain the difference between quantitative and qualitative research methods. • List the stages in the research process. • Identify ethical issues in health research. • Recognise different types of scientific literature. • Explain the difference between literature review and systematic review. • Interpret the concepts of “risk factor, cause, and confounder” in the context of multifactorial theory of causation. • Identify suitable data sources and data collection methods. • Describe the concept of a representative sample. • Distinguish prevalence and incidence measures. • Explain the purpose of the age-standardisation procedure and interpret age-standardised rates. • List and describe epidemiologic study designs, their advantages and disadvantages. • Interpret measures of association. • Explain the difference between random errors and biases. • Provide examples of selection bias and information bias. • Interpret measures of test sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. • Explain the relationship between test sensitivity and specificity as illustrated by the ROC curve. • Describe the traditional structure of conference abstracts and manuscripts in health sciences. • Recognise main principles of oral or poster presentations. | ||||||||
| Skills: | • Illustrate the link between the scientific problem, an appropriate research question and hypothesis. • Find applicable case definition. • Perform literature search in relevant databases, e.g., PubMed. • Draw simplified causal diagrams and define variables. • Calculate basic epidemiological measures: prevalence, cumulative incidence and incidence rate. • Identify study designs in published papers. • Calculate measures of association: risk ratio, rate ratio, odds ratio, attributable risk, attributable fraction. • Calculate test sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. • Present a hypothetical research proposal. | ||||||||
| Competencies: | • Formulate the scientific problem justified by literature. • Develop the research question, the aim and tasks to answer the question. • Choose a suitable study design and data collection methods. • Foresee potential threats to scientific validity of study results. | ||||||||
| Bibliography | |||||||||
| No. | Reference | ||||||||
| Required Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | Jacobsen, K. H. 2021. Introduction to Health Research Methods. A Practical Guide. Jones & Bartlett Learning | ||||||||
| 2 | Bouter, L. M., Zielhuis, G. and Zeegers M. P. 2023. Textbook of Epidemiology. Bohn Stafleu van Loghum | ||||||||
| 3 | Baltiņš, M. 2003. Lietišķā epidemioloģija. Rīga: Zinātne. (akceptējams izdevums) | ||||||||
| 4 | Mārtinsone, K., Pipere, A. un Kamerāde, D. (red.) 2016. Pētniecība: teorija un prakse. Rīga: RaKa | ||||||||
| 5 | Ārvalstu studentiem/For international students: | ||||||||
| 6 | Jacobsen, K. H. 2021. Introduction to Health Research Methods. A Practical Guide. Jones & Bartlett Learning | ||||||||
| 7 | Bouter, L. M., Zielhuis, G. and Zeegers M. P. 2023. Textbook of Epidemiology. Bohn Stafleu van Loghum | ||||||||
| Additional Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | Mārtinsone, K. un Pipere, A. (red.) 2019. Zinātniskā rakstīšana un pētījumu rezultātu izplatīšana. Rīga: RSU | ||||||||
| 2 | Fletcher, R. H., Fletcher, S. W. and Fletcher, G. S. 2014. Clinical Epidemiology: The Essentials. 5th ed. Philadelphia: LWW | ||||||||
| 3 | Ārvalstu studentiem/For international students: | ||||||||
| 4 | Fletcher, R. H., Fletcher, S. W. and Fletcher, G. S. 2014. Clinical Epidemiology: The Essentials. 5th ed. Philadelphia: LWW | ||||||||
