HADPOP intro Flashcards
Define Epidemiology
The study of disease in populations
Define prevalence
Number of people with a condition or illness in a defined population at one time
Define incidence
Number of new cases of a problem arising in a defined population in a defined period of time
Define event rate
The number of people dying in a defined period of time
Define Confidence interval
Measure of certainty which can be attached to the results
Relative Risk
Number of cases per population in one group relative to the number of cases per population in another group.
What is QOF?
Quality outcomes framework. Introduced to GPs in England, provides financial incentives for provision of high quality care to patients.
What is the HSE?
Health Survey for England. Annual survey of nations health. Sample is socio-demographically representative of the English population.
Limitations of epidemiology
Doesn’t take into account general wellbeing (holistic health) Studies cannot prove causality but can make a case beyond reasonable doubt Difficult to determine causality where there are multiple related risks and complex systems
What affects decision to implement research evidence?
Quality of research Degree of uncertainty in findings Relevance to clinical setting If benefits to patients outweigh adverse effects If overall benefits justify costs when competing priorities and available resources are taken into account
What is the ice-berg principle?
The observation that only a small proportion of the true number of cases of a dieseae is known or seen by clinicians. There are likely to be many more people who are undiagnosed or with pre-clinical disease in the community.
