Topic 1: Introduction to the Module and Assignment

Module: Epidemiology and Statistics

Topic 1: Introduction to the Module and Assignment

Objectives

When you have completed the reading and participated in the taught components for this week, we hope you will be able to

• Understand the need for critical appraisal of research information
• Understand the role of good quality data in monitoring and improving a population’s health

Lecture: It's not just about the numbers

Numbers are often used in news media and debates about health, but where do the numbers come from? This lecture will introduce the concepts of critical appraisal and the need to look behind the numbers as to how they were collected, who from, and how they are interpreted. Lack of systems for collecting vital statistics will contribute to global inequality. Using examples of information from the media, reports and scientific literature the principles of critical appraisal will be described. Tools for critical appraisal will be introduced.

Preparation for this Week

Set Reading

BOOK CHAPTERS

• Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper . Chapter 3 (Getting your bearings.) (Buy it or check library availability) Avaliable free online (although chapters are not numbered)

ACADEMIC PAPERS

• N Dhingra, P Jha, VP Sharma, for the Million Death Study Collaborators et al. Adult and child malaria mortality in India: a nationally representative mortality survey Lancet 2010; 376: 1768–74 (read it here)
• Pan A, Sun Q, Bernstein AM, Schulze MB, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Hu FB Red Meat Consumption and Mortality Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies - Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(7):555-563. (read it here)
  
• Fowkes FG, Fulton PM. Critical appraisal of published research: Introductory guidelines. BMJ; 302: 1136–1140. (read it here)

WEB SITE

• CASP toolkit http://www.casp-uk.net/

Lecture Notes and Powerpoints

• Topic 1 Powerpoint
• Media Example 1- Red Meat
• Media Example 2- Malaria

Module: Epidemiology and Statistics

Week 1: Introduction to the Module and Assignment

Assignment Instructions and Mark Scheme

Write a 2000 word report critically appraising a media article and its associated research paper.

Choose from one of the following topics

1. Factors associated with health inequality 
2. Important risk factors for morbidity and mortality of populations
3. New interventions for treatment and prevention of  diseases which play a major part in the burden of disease worldwide
4. Organisation of primary care
5. A different topic if discussed and agreed with the module leader

For the topic find an article in the media (newspaper, news website),  or health based website, and a research paper that the media article relates to (the paper should contain at least one table or graph).

In your report

a)   Summarise the message of the media article

b)   Summarise the data sources, methods used

c)    Summarise  the results of the research paper, including a detailed interpretation of any tables and/or figures and explanation of key statistics presented

d)   Critically appraise the research paper

e)   Critically appraise the presentation of statistics and epidemiology in the media article

f)     Suggest a new study that could be undertaken to progress the research area.

The pass mark is 50% ; if you are aiming for a distinction (70%), you should think carefully about the critical analysis of the report and the explanation of the epidemiology and statistical terms.