Skip to main content

Public Health and Epidemiology

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:4.00
Study Course Accepted:21.12.2021 11:35:37
Study Course Information
Course Code:SVUEK_116LQF level:Level 6
Credit Points:2.00ECTS:3.00
Branch of Science:Clinical Medicine; Public HealthTarget Audience:Midwifery
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:Toms Pulmanis
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)0Lecture Length (academic hours)0Total Contact Hours of Lectures0
Classes (count)16Class Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Classes32
Total Contact Hours32
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
The basics of normal and pathological physiology, Introduction to Psychology and Sociology, Introduction to Evidence-Based Care.
Objective:
To provide knowledge and develop skills in the basic aspects of Public Health and Epidemiology, which are necessary for the evaluation of health information and for evidence-based practice of Public health in the framework of Nursing and Midwifery.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.TopicType of ImplementationNumberVenue
1Health, public health.Classes2.00other
2Health information, data sources.Classes2.00other
3Disease prevention strategies, health promotion.Classes2.00other
4Social determinants of health.Classes2.00other
5Healthcare organization.Classes2.00auditorium
6Epidemiology, causality, basic measures in epidemiology – incidence and prevalence.Classes2.00auditorium
7Crude, specific and standardized rates, basic measures of demography.Classes2.00auditorium
8Study designs in epidemiology – descriptive and analytic studies.Classes2.00auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
Work with literature. Analysis of research publications. Tasks for calculation of basic measures in epidemiology. Study course evaluation form to be filled in by the end of the study course.
Assessment Criteria:
Cumulative assessment, consisting of 50% public health issue/challenge analysis and 50% written final exam.
Final Examination (Full-Time):Exam
Final Examination (Part-Time):
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:• To define the concepts of health, norm and disease. • To formulate objectives and tasks of public health, name the most important sub-fields of public health. • To define the concept of disease prevention, strategies and levels of prevention, including the concept and preconditions of screening. • To define the concept of health promotion and characterize health promotion approaches. • Name main health determinants in the context of multicausality. • Name the definition of social determinants of health and different social determinants of health. • Name the basic measures in epidemiology, explain differences and interrelation between measures. • Name the sources of health information, methods of acquisition, advantages and disadvantages, objectives of health monitoring. • To recognize the basic designs of epidemiologic studies. • Name and describe the basic principles of healthcare organization and financing.
Skills:• To interpret the concepts of health and disease in relation to speciality. • To give examples of health promotion and disease prevention strategies. • To give examples of health determinants, including social determinants. • To calculate basic measures in epidemiology. • To distinguish crude, specific and standardized rates. • To distinguish study designs. • To use statistical databases for the search of health information.
Competencies:• To discuss public health issues and potential speciality-related solutions. • To evaluate the appropriateness of data sources to ascertain public health problem/-s. • To evaluate the appropriateness of study design to answer research question.
Bibliography
No.Reference
Required Reading
1Baltiņš, M. (2003). „Lietišķā epidemioloģija”. „Zinātne”, Rīga. (akceptējams izdevums)
2Donovan, D., & McDowell, I. (Eds.). (2017). AFMC Primer on Population Health - A virtual textbook on Public Health concepts for clinicians. Ottawa, ON: The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC). Retrieved from; https://phprimer.afmc.ca/en/
Additional Reading
1Greenberg, R. S. eds. 2015. Medical Epidemiology: Population Health and Effective Health Care. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. Access Medicine DB.
Other Information Sources
1www.vm.gov.lv
2www.spkc.gov.lv
3www.csb.gov.lv
4www.who.int
5European Health Information Gateway. Available from: https://gateway.euro.who.int/en/hfa-explorer