Week 1 - Uses of Health Information

Question 1

What does a trend imply and what is the limitation?

Answer 1

Implies a comparison over time

Can only be a comparison between places, across socio-economic groups, or a combination of the 2

Question 2

What are the systematic errors when monitoring a trend in the Numerator and Denominator?

Answer 2

Numerator - death certification, disease diagnosis, classification or coding errors

Denominators - population used, population definition, population count or estimate

Question 3

What affects interpretation when monitoring a trend?

Answer 3

Chance - random variation
Artefactual (systematic errors) - numerator and denominator errors
Real Phenomenon - natural causes (epidemiological), effects of medical care

If there is a dramatic change, consider the artefact use reasons before considering it to be a real phenomenon - if it is too good/bad to be true, it probably is

Question 4

What does a ‘Trend’ involve and what does it require?

Answer 4

Involves a comparison of rates

Requires a numerator and denominator