Epidemiology and Biostatics Flashcards
What is epidemiology?
the study of populations; distribution of disease and/or determinants of health
Who is the father of epidemiology?
John Snow
What did John Snow do?
kill the mother of dragons
Who is John Snow?
1854 doctor tracked cholera outbreak to source at broad street well
How many people died from cholera in one week in SoHo?
500
Why is epidemiology important to optometric practice?
understand what we might see, how often it occurs, and create an effective approach to treatment
What’s Austin and Werner’s definition of epidemiology?
the study of how and why diseases and other conditions are distributed within the population the way they are
Define population
small, medium, or large group of people; grouped by any defining characteristic
What is descriptive epidemiology?
five Ws, search for clues, formulate hypothesis, no comparison group, results non-generalizable
What is analytic epidemiology?
how and why, clues available, test hypothesis, comparison group, perhaps generalizable
What three things should you think about with descriptive epidemiology?
time, place, and person
What three things should you think about with analytic epidemiology?
host, agent/vector, environment
What are pathogen characteristics?
toxicity, virulence, infectivity, susceptibility to antibiotics, ability to survive outside body
What are environment characteristics?
climate, physical structures, population density, social structure
What are host characteristics?
age, prior experience, susceptibility, co-infection, immune response
