Epidemiology is often described as the cornerstone science in public health. Epidemiology in public health practice uses study design and analyses to identify causes in an outbreak situation, guides interventions to improve population health, and evaluates programs and policies.
This course is part of the Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization
Offered By
Epidemiology in Public Health Practice SpecializationJohns Hopkins UniversityAbout this Course
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Learner Career Outcomes
38%
started a new career after completing these courses
43%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
21%
got a pay increase or promotion
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 2 of 5 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Beginner Level
Approx. 6 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, English, Spanish
Learner Career Outcomes
38%
started a new career after completing these courses
43%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
21%
got a pay increase or promotion
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 2 of 5 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Beginner Level
Approx. 6 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, English, Spanish
Offered by
Johns Hopkins University
The mission of The Johns Hopkins University is to educate its students and cultivate their capacity for life-long learning, to foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
2 hours to complete
Introduction and Problem-Solving Methodology
In this module, we will introduce the problem solving methodology. This methodology is a powerful tool that can useful when identifying a public health problem, building the case that there truly is a problem, suggesting interventions, and suggestions ways to evaluate the interventions and disseminate the findings of the evaluation.
2 hours to complete
11 videos (Total 57 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
11 videos
Welcome to Problem-Solving Methodology59s
Introduction to Methodology4m
Problem Definition Part 112m
Problem Definition Part 24m
Magnitude of the Problem3m
Conceptual Framework10m
Action Plan8m
Actions and Evaluations6m
Communication3m
Summary1m
1 reading
Course Projects10m
1 practice exercise
Methodology30m
1 hour to complete
Data Sources in Public Health
In this module, we dive deeper into what lies at the heart of epidemiology: data! More specifically, we will look at routine and public health data systems.
1 hour to complete
9 videos (Total 55 min)
9 videos
Data For Public Health Practice12m
Medical Record Systems3m
Administrative Record Systems3m
Assessing the Quality of Mortality Statistics in the Americas12m
Public Health information Systems: Population-based Surveys11m
Public Health Information Systems: Registries3m
Public Health Information Systems: Surveillance Systems1m
Common Problems of Routine and Public Health Information Systems4m
1 practice exercise
Routine and Public Health Information Systems30m
2 hours to complete
Measures of Disease Burden
In this module we will use data from routine and public health information systems to measure the burden of disease in the population. We will calculate crude mortality rates, and then apply direct and indirect age standardization methods.
2 hours to complete
8 videos (Total 50 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
8 videos
Measures of Disease Burden4m
Direct Age Adjustment14m
Indirect Age Adjustment8m
Years of Potential Life Lost5m
Life Expectancy4m
Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY)4m
Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALY)5m
1 reading
Direct Age Adjustment Exercise Resources10m
1 practice exercise
Measures of Disease Burden30m
1 hour to complete
Health Indicators
In this module, we'll discuss health indicators, which are important measurements of the health of a population. There are numerous health indicators that help us paint the picture of a populations health. We'll talk about characteristics of good health indicators to provide a little guidance on how to choose health indicators for the public health problem of interest. Then, we'll use the example of the health indicator of liver cancer incidence to explore descriptive epidemiology. We will stratify liver cancer incidence by person, place, and time, to build our skills in descriptive epidemiology.
1 hour to complete
9 videos (Total 39 min)
9 videos
Health Indicators12m
Selecting Health Indicators4m
Descriptive Epidemiology: Person, Place, and Time Trends2m
Descriptive Epidemiology: Time5m
Descriptive Epidemiology: Person5m
Descriptive Epidemiology: Place5m
Summary2m
Concluding Thoughts19s
1 practice exercise
Health Indicators30m
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM DATA AND HEALTH INDICATORS IN PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE
by MBDec 13, 2019
Excellent introduction to epidemiology and public health, all the topics link together well and provide a good understanding of the public health basics which assist with related study and work.
by CJFeb 24, 2019
This was an excellent short course providing valuable resources and practice components to become more familiar with the calculations I would definitely recommend this course. Thank you
by MWSep 12, 2017
Great course! I learned a lot about epidemiology in public health practice. The examples and exercises were really helpful in understanding how to apply what you learn.
by PMay 27, 2020
I am very happy that i have studied this course. Thank you so much for providing such a course online which will boost my knowledge in the field of public health
About the Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization
This specialization is intended for people working or aspiring to work in the field of public health at the local, regional, and national level. Over five courses taught by faculty from the preeminent school of public health, you'll learn to use the core epidemiologic toolset to measure the health of populations, assess interventions, collect and analyze data, and investigate outbreaks and epidemics.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
- The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
- The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
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