Epidemiology

Code:

MO03

Acronym:

EPID

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Health Sciences

Instance: 2022/2023 - 1S (of 12-09-2022 to 10-02-2023)

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Population Studies
Course/CS Responsible:	Master Degree in Oncology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MO	21	Oficial Plan 2018	1	-	3	23	81

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

Knowledge – at the end of the course students will be able to: Describe the main epidemiological patterns of cancer in Portugal and in the world; Identify risk factors of cancer; Describe the different types of epidemiological studies, namely observational, analytic and experimental; Explain the difference between association and causality; Internal and external validity. Describe the uses of epidemiology in planning interventions in oncology;

 

Skills - at the end of the course students will be able to: Calculate measures of frequency and measures of association; Interpret the main measures in epidemiology. Read and interpret published epidemiological studies (validity and implications for public health practice in the area of oncology);

 

Attitudes - at the end of the course students will: Be sceptical of statements based only on opinion, and demand epidemiological evidence for those statements; Advocate the importance of surveillance systems like cancer registries and the need for cooperation from health professionals in such systems.

Learning outcomes and competences

Students will reach the objectives above described.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

None special.

Program

The scientific method. Methodological issues in Epidemiology and Public Health. Association and causality. Basic concepts in Epidemiology. Measures of frequency, association and impact. Methods of standardization. Survival analysis. Descriptive epidemiology of cancer, risk factors. Controversies in oncology; the published literature.

Mandatory literature

Gordis Leon; Epidemiologia. ISBN: 978-989-8075-30-7
Hennekens CH & Buring JE; Epidemiology in Mediicne, Little, Brown and Company, 1987. ISBN: 0-316-35636-0

Comments from the literature

Articles will also be included in the bibliography during lectures.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Lectures, exercises, group discussions and journal clubs.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	40,00
Teste	60,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	63,00
Frequência das aulas	17,50
Total:	80,50

Eligibility for exams

Following the new (2018/2019) guidelines of the official regulations (REGULAMENTO).

Calculation formula of final grade

Journal club: 0 to 8 (minimum 4)

Final written exam (or viva): 0 to 12 (minimum 4)

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Following the new (2018/2019) guidelines of the official regulations (REGULAMENTO).

Classification improvement

Students can apply for a viva, following the new (2018/2019) guidelines of the official regulations (REGULAMENTO).