Topics covered include presentation of data, descriptive statistics, concept of probability, estimation of parameters, hypothesis testing, simple linear regression, correlation, and analysis of attribute data. The course acquaints students with the role of communications in public health, as well as some principles and practices of communication. The first half of the course reviews various interpersonal, group, organizational, and mediated communication principles and practices. The second half covers a number of laboratory sessions for oral presentation, writing, and media relations. This course if designed to enable students to interpret epidemiologic data and understand the approaches used in epidemiologic investigations of infectious and non-infectious diseases.
Attention is given to the application of epidemiologic methods to the evaluation of health services.
The course format consists of lectures supplemented with directed discussion exercises. The course includes study of managers' roles and activities necessary to accomplish the functions of management and emphasizes executive management in health care organizations. This course is designed to introduce the students to research methodologies. The first half of the course will be the research process and methods. The second half of the course will focus on survey methods and approaches which include questionnaires for mail or group administration and personal interviews in institutional and household settings.