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Public Health

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:6.00
Study Course Accepted:23.09.2021 11:32:37
Study Course Information
Course Code:SVUEK_083LQF level:Level 6
Credit Points:2.00ECTS:3.00
Branch of Science:Clinical Medicine; Public HealthTarget Audience:Social Welfare and Social Work
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:Laura Isajeva
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:Department of Public Health and Epidemiology
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:Riga, 9 Kronvalda boulevard, svekatrsu[pnkts]lv, +371 67338307
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)6Lecture Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Lectures12
Classes (count)10Class Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Classes20
Total Contact Hours32
Part-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)2Lecture Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Lectures4
Classes (count)8Class Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Classes16
Total Contact Hours20
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
1. To understand public health problems and the role of epidemiology in health sciences, prior knowledge of normal and pathological physiology and/or propaedetics is required; 2. In order for the student to be able to apply health measurements and epidemiology methods in practice, prior knowledge in mathematical statistics and computer skills are required; 3. To read and analyze modern literature in public health and epidemiology, English language skills are required.
Objective:
The aim of the course is to provide knowledge in the main concepts of public health, necessary to understand health information and evidence based public health practice.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.TopicType of ImplementationNumberVenue
1Health. Public health.Lectures1.00auditorium
2Disease prevention. Health promotion.Lectures1.00auditorium
3Evidence-based medicine and public health. Epidemiology.Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
4Basic epidemiologic measures.Classes2.00auditorium
5Crude, specific and standardized rates. Health information.Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
6Social determinants of health.Classes1.00auditorium
7Social determinants of health.Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
8Health care organization.Classes1.00auditorium
9Health care organization.Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
10Presentation of individual assignments / projects.Classes2.00auditorium
Topic Layout (Part-Time)
No.TopicType of ImplementationNumberVenue
1Health. Public health.Lectures1.00E-Studies platform
2Disease prevention. Health promotion.Lectures1.00E-Studies platform
3Evidence-based medicine and public health. Epidemiology.Classes1.00E-Studies platform
4Basic epidemiologic measures.Classes1.00E-Studies platform
5Crude, specific and standardized rates. Health information.Classes1.00E-Studies platform
6Social determinants of health.Classes1.00E-Studies platform
7Social determinants of health.Classes1.00E-Studies platform
8Health care organization.Classes1.00E-Studies platform
9Health care organization.Classes1.00E-Studies platform
10Presentation of individual assignments / projects.Classes1.00E-Studies platform
Assessment
Unaided Work:
Home reading material. Data search and aggregation, to submit individual assignments. Presentations of the results of individual assignments. At the end of the study course, the study course evaluation questionnaire must be completed.
Assessment Criteria:
Participation in discussions during classes. Presenting the results of individual assignments (forms 50% of course final grade). Written final exam (forms 50% of course final grade).
Final Examination (Full-Time):Exam (Written)
Final Examination (Part-Time):Exam
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:On successful completion of the course students will be able to: • define concepts of health, public health; • define concepts of disease prevention and health promotion in relation to social work; • list the fundamental principles of disease screening; • list the main demographic indicators and explain relationship between demography and public health; • describe theories in social medicine and to list social determinants of health; • explain the meaning of evidence-based public health; • identify sources and methods for collecting health information; to describe their advantages and limitations; • list and describe epidemiological study designs, and to identify factors which may affect validity of epidemiological studies; • list and describe fundamental issues of health care organisation and financing.
Skills:On successful course completion students will be able to: • interpret the concepts of health and disease in the professional context; • demonstrate determinants of health with examples, including the social determinants of health; • illustrate with examples approaches to health promotion and disease prevention in relation to social work; • calculate basic epidemiological measures; • distinguish between crude, specific and standardized rates; • differentiate designs of epidemiological studies; • find relevant health information and critically assess how reliable it is; • use epidemiological and demographic measures to illustrate public health problems.
Competencies:• debate about public health problems and potential solutions in the professional context; • evaluate public health problem by using suitable data sources and indicators; • assess differences in health problems between populations or changes over time.
Bibliography
No.Reference
Required Reading
1David Celentano, Moyses Szklo. Gordis Epidemiology 6th Edition. Elsevier, 2018.
2 J.C. Heyman, E.P. Congress. Health and Social Work: Practice, Policy, and Research. Springer Publishing Company, 2018.
3Health 2020: A European policy framework and strategy for the 21st century. WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2013; 184 p.
Additional Reading
1Marmot M., Wilkinson R.G. (ed.). Social Determinants of Health. 2nd edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. x, 366 p.
2Veselība 2020: Eiropas stratēģiskais ietvars visos pārvaldes un sabiedrības līmeņos veiktas rīcības atbalstam veselības un labklājības vairošanai. SPKC, 2013; 15 lpp.
3Global Burden of Disease (GBD 2019)
4OECD. 2020. Health at a Glance: Europe 2020.
5Baltiņš M. Lietišķā epidemioloģija. Rīga: Zinātne, 2003. 354 lpp.
Other Information Sources
1European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
2The WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe)
3European Health for All database (HFA-DB)
4European Community Health Indicators (ECHI)
5Slimību profilakses un kontroles centrs (SPKC)