Epidemiologic Reasoning and Methodology
Description
This course provides learners with essential epidemiologic concepts and practical tools needed to critically assess evidence and improve the quality of public health research and decision-making. The course focuses on key methodological principles including bias, error, validity, reliability, confounding, interaction (effect modification), and matching, with clear emphasis on how these concepts influence interpretation of study findings.
Learners will also gain applied skills in controlling confounding through stratified analysis and study design approaches, as well as evaluating associations and causal relationships. In addition, the course introduces the fundamentals of Implementation Research (IR) as a roadmap for translating evidence into real-world impact, with a focus on implementation frameworks and outcomes relevant to public health programs.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to understand and apply core epidemiologic methods to assess study quality, interpret results appropriately, and support evidence-based practice and program improvement.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain the concept of confounding and assess its presence in epidemiologic studies
- Apply different methods to control confounders, including stratified analysis
- Identify factors that can lead to an apparent association and recognize the role of epidemiologic bias
- Distinguish between random error, precision, reliability, and validity, and identify indices used to measure them
- Discuss approaches for evaluating, preventing, and controlling bias, and apply principles of quality assurance and quality control
- Define interaction and evaluate it using the homogeneity of effects method
- Compare and contrast interaction and confounding in interpretation of study findings
- Explain the concept of matching, conduct matched case-control studies, and analyze matched data appropriately
- Define Implementation Research (IR), differentiate it from other research approaches, and identify key IR components, frameworks (including CFIR), and implementation outcomes
- Stratified Analysis
- Epidemiologic Bias and Causation
- Error and Bias
- Interaction
- Matching
- Concept of Confounding
- Implementation Research
Course Features
Note: The course completion period is 6 months from the date of purchase. Enjoy learning!
Certificate
The participant will be awarded a certificate of successful completion upon completing the course.