Health Research Methods

Code:

MI012

Acronym:

MI012

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Medicine

Instance: 2014/2015 - SP

Active?	No
Responsible unit:	Department of Health Information and Decision Sciences Department
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master in Medicine

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIMED	0	Mestrado Integrado em Medicina 2007	6	-	1,5	32	40,5
		Mestrado Integrado em Medicina- Plano oficial 2013 (Reforma Curricular)	6	-	1,5	32	40,5

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The practice of Medicine – from diagnosis and prognosis to therapy and prevention – is clearly related to the development, critical appraisal and application of high-quality scientific evidence, in order to provide healthcare of the highest quality.  The objective of this course is to give the adequate theoretical foundations and practical guidance for the interpretation of scientific evidence and the design and implementation of research projects.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of this course, students should be able to: adequately define clinical research questions; conduct adequate bibliographic searches; understand and apply different study designs; define and select adequate methods for selection of participants and methods for data collection; interpret and critically appraise research protocols and research papers.

Working method

Presencial

Program

The Scientific Method in Health and Medicine.

Evidence Based Medicine.

Research Planning as a Step-by-step Process. 

Research questions and bibliographic searches.

Study design (definitions and classifications; experimental studies – clinical trials, observational studies, diagnostic tests studies).

Frequency, association and impact measures in clinical research.

Precision, validity, random and systematic errors (biases).

Participant selection methods: sampling theory and sample size calculation.

Selection and development of data collection methods (reproducibility and validity of instruments; questionnaires and measurement scales design and validation and; biases in data collection and variables measurements).

Research protocol preparation.

Mandatory literature

Stephen B. Hulley, Steven R. Cummings, Warren S. Browner, Deborah Grady Norman Hearst, Thomas B. Newman; Designing Clinical Research , Williams and Wilkins, 2000

Complementary Bibliography

Riegelman RK and Hirsch RP; Studying a Study and Testing a Test: How to read the Health Science Literature, Little Brown , 2000

Teaching methods and learning activities

The course will have a total duration of 15 hours, including 5 hours of theoretical classes and 10 hours of practical classes, during 1 curricular week.

An e-learning platform will be used to support theoretical and practical classes.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	80,00
Trabalho escrito	20,00
Total:	100,00

Calculation formula of final grade

Course evaluation will be based on a practical work and a final theoretical exam, with a weighting of 20% and 80% of the final grade, respectively. The final theoretical exam will cover the theoretical content of the course and will include: (a) closed choice questions, simple and multiple and (b) open questions with short and long answers. The final exam will have a duration of 90 minutes.

Examinations or Special Assignments

There is no special assignments.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

In accordance with the rules approved by FMUP.

Classification improvement

In accordance with the rules approved by FMUP.