Epidemiology II: Non-randomized Study Design

School of Medicine

This course addresses the design of non-randomized studies and factors that are important in design selection. This includes the design of cohort studies, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, assembly and follow-up of the cohort, exposure measurement, outcome ascertainment, confounders, effect modification, calculation of measures of occurrence and effect, summary of multivariate statistical analyses for cohort studies; the case-control study, conditions necessary for validity of the case-control study, selection of controls, sources of bias in case-control studies, and multivariate analysis; as well as the ecological study, including when to use and when to avoid. The course includes didactic lectures and critical reading of important epidemiologic studies from the current medical literature. This course is required for students in the Epidemiology track of the M.P.H. Program. Prerequisite: Epidemiology I, Biostatistics II, Clinical Trials, or approval of instructor. Enrollment is limited due to space restrictions, with priority given to students in the M.P.H. and M.S.C.I. programs.