Epidemiology Flashcards
What does epidemiology do
describes, quantifies, and postulates causal mechanisms for disease in populations and develops methods for the control of diseases
What is epidemiology used for
to identify trends and patterns in disease occurrence
What are the constants in epidemiology
person, place, and time
What are the constants important for
Contact tracing
What did John Snow do
spot plotting, worked during cholera outbreak
What did Florence Nightingale do
detained records on morbidity during Crimean war, one of the first systematic descriptive studies of disease patterns in populations, used statistics as evidence to gain attention
Epidemiological triad/triangle
host, agent, enviornment
When is the epidemiological triad/triangle used
during assessment, how does each piece relate to the disease
Agent
the cause of condition
Host
system affected by condition
Environment
what is contributing to a condition
Concept of causality
a stimulus or action that results in an effect or outcome
What does the concept of causality determine
if a relationship exists between the risk factor and the health effect, is there a statistical relationship
What does the web of causation determine
what interventions could impact the development of a disease and the factors
Risk
the probability that a disease/unfavorable health condition will develop
