Disease Screening in Public Health
University of Geneva
About this Course
Current and future public health is characterized by the increase of chronic and degenerative diseases, corresponding to the worldwide ageing of the population. The increasing prevalence of these conditions together with the long incubation period of the chronic diseases and the continual technological innovations, offer new opportunities to develop strategies for early diagnosis.
Public Health has an important mandate to critically assess the promises and the pitfalls of disease screening strategies. This MOOC will help you understand important concepts for screening programs that will be explored through a series of examples that are the most relevant to public health today. We will conclude with expert interviews that explore future topics that will be important for screening.
By the end of this MOOC, students should have the competency needed to be involved in the scientific field of screening, and understand the public health perspective in screening programs.
This MOOC has been designed by the University of Geneva and the University of Lausanne.
This MOOC has been prepared under the auspices of the Ecole romande de santé publique (www.ersp.ch) by Prof. Fred Paccaud, MD, MSc, Head of the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine in Lausanne (www.iumsp.ch), in collaboration with Professor Antoine Flahault, MD, PhD, head of the Institute of Global Health, Geneva (https://www.unige.ch/medecine/isg/en/) and Prof. Gillian Bartlett-Esquilant (McGill University, Quebec/ Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Lausanne).
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
1
Section
Introduction to Key Concepts in Screening
This module will provide a brief welcome by Dr. Fred Paccaud and Dr. Antoine Flahault. An overview of screening and an introduction on how the course is organized and evaluated will be provided by Dr. Gillian Bartlett-Esquilant. Dr. Idris Guessous, a Senior Lecturer in the Population Epidemiology Unit in the Department of Community Medicine, Primary Care and Emergency Medicine (Geneva), and in the Department of Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine (PMU Lausanne) & Division of Chronic Diseases at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (Lausanne) will provide lectures on definitions of screening. Natural history of diseases and the characteristics of subclinical conditions allowing early diagnosis will be presented. A quiz on the key concepts for screening will complete this module.
9 videos (Total 51 min), 9 readings, 1 quiz
9 videos
Definition of Screening4m
Definition of a Screening Program4m
Natural History of Diseases4m
Lead Time, Diagnosis and Treatment5m
Risk of Overdiagnosis4m
Screening Tests and Biomarkers4m
The Prevention Paradox6m
Target Populations for Screening4m
9 readings
Course Instructors10m
Development Team10m
Course Description: Modules & Themes10m
Course design10m
Grading policy5m
Discussion Forum Guidelines10m
Getting started: Break the ice !30m
Suggested discussion45m
Reading List for Concepts5m
1 practice exercises
Introduction to Key Concepts in Screening40m
2
Section
Screening Metrics
The second module, provided by Dr. Idris Guessous, will address the metrics of screening with concepts related to robustness, validity and impact. A quiz on screening metrics will complete this module.
10 videos (Total 56 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
10 videos
Robustness of Tests5m
Validity5m
Sensitivity and Specificity6m
Predictive Values6m
Outcomes and Study Design5m
Number Needed to Screen5m
Presentation of the 2-by-2 Table3m
Ethics5m
Shared Decison Making_ new video10m
2 readings
Suggested discussion45m
Metrics10m
1 practice exercises
Screening Metrics30m
3
Section
Screening in Pregnancy and Newborns
This module on screening in the prenatal (pregnancy) and perinatal (newborn) stage of life is given by Professor Murielle Bochud, MD, PhD, head of the Institute of social and preventive medicine in Lausanne, Switzerland. A quiz will complete this module.
6 videos (Total 42 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
6 videos
Key Concepts for Genetic Screening Tests8m
Overview of Prenatal and Perinatal Screening8m
Example of an Improved Screening Test: Down Syndrome7m
Example of Screening to Improve Prognosis: Congenital Hearing Loss7m
Example of Genetic Screening: Cystic Fibrosis8m
3 readings
Suggested discussion45m
Genetic conditions30m
Prenatal and perinatal conditions20m
1 practice exercises
Screening in Pregnancy and Newborns40m
4
Section
Screening for Cardiometabolic Conditions
Senior lecturer Arnaud Chiolero, MD, PhD, from the Division of Chronic Diseases at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine in Lausanne will be presenting three case studies related to the increasingly prevalent condition of cardiometabolic disease. Three different diseases will be explored in terms of burden of disease, benefits and harms, evidence and issues followed by recommendations about whether screening should be implemented. A quiz will complete this module.
4 videos (Total 32 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
4 videos
Case 1: Hypertension7m
Case 2: Diabetes10m
Case 3: Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Children11m
2 readings
Suggested discussion45m
Cardiometabolic conditions10m
1 practice exercises
Screening for Cardiometabolic Conditions20m
5
Section
Cancer Screening
Cancer is a classical field for screening because of both the improvement of the prognosis for most cancers and the usually long incubation period. This part of the MOOC will present current data, evidence and policies regarding the most important cancer sites that include colorectum, prostate, lung, cervix, breast and skin. This module is given by several experts including Elisabetta Rapiti from the Geneva Cancer Registry at the Institute of Global Health in Geneva; Professor Antoine Flahault, who is the Head of the Institute of Global Health in Geneva; and Jean-Luc Buillard who is a Senior Lecturer in the Division of Chronic Diseases at the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine in Lausanne. A quiz will complete this module.
8 videos (Total 89 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
8 videos
Colorectal Cancer12m
Prostate Cancer12m
Cervical Cancer11m
Lung Cancer9m
Skin_Cancer_Part I _new video10m
Skin_Cancer_Part II_new video12m
Breast_Cancer_new video16m
2 readings
Suggested discussion10m
Cancer30m
1 practice exercises
Cancer Screening40m
6
Section
Public Mental Health and Screening in Ageing
This module explores the topics of public mental health and screening in the ageing population for neuropsychiatric conditions and physical impairments such as hearing loss. This module is given by several experts including Emiliano Albanese, assistant professor in public mental health in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Geneva and the Director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in mental health at the University of Geneva; Professor Christophe Bula who is the head of the geriatric and geriatric rehabilitation service at the Vaudois University Hospital Centre; Professor Armin von Gunten who is the head of the university service for geriatric psychiatry at the Vaudois University Hospital Service. A quiz will complete this module.
6 videos (Total 59 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
6 videos
Introduction to Public Mental Health9m
Public Mental Health and Disabilities7m
Dementia and Related Disorders11m
Old-Age Depression_new video12m
General Screening in the Elderly_new video12m
2 readings
Suggested discussion45m
Neuropsychiatric conditions10m
1 practice exercises
Public Mental Health and Screening in Ageing40m
7
Section
Screening in Low and Middle-Income Countries and Migrants
The globalization of non-communicable diseases is a major challenge in low and middle income countries (LMIC). At the same time, migration is occurring between these countries and high income countries. Screening for cardiovascular diseases and for cancer in low and middle income countries will be presented and discussed. In addition, the special consideration of screening of migrants from these countries will be addressed. This module is given by: Professor Pascal Bovet from the Division of Chronic Diseases at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine in Lausanne; Dr. Catherine Sauvaget from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France; and Professor Patrick Bodenmann from the Polimedical University Clinic and head of the Centre for Vulnerable Populations. A quiz will complete this module.
8 videos (Total 82 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
8 videos
Screening of Noncommunicable Disease in LMIC5m
Optimal Strategy for Screening in LMIC11m
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Screening in LMIC10m
Focus on Hypertension for CVD Screening in LMIC11m
Cancer Screening in LMIC8m
Cross Cultural Competencies- Part I _new video13m
Cross Cultural Competencies- Part II_new video16m
3 readings
Suggested discussion10m
Screening in low and middle-income countries10m
Screening of noncommunicable diseases in low and middle-income countries20m
1 practice exercises
Screening in Low and Middle-Income Countries and Migrants0m
8
Section
Evaluation, Planning, Implementation and the Future of Screening Programs
In this final module, important aspects of for the evaluation, planning and decision making about the implementation or stopping of screening programs will be presented. This material is given by Senior lecturer Jean-Luc Bulliard who is an epidemiologist in the Division of Chronic Diseases at the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine in Lausanne. The conclusion of the module will be a series of interviews with experts on the future of disease screening in public health conducted by Dr. Gillian Bartlett-Esquilant, a visiting professor at the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine at Lausanne. A quiz will close this module.
9 videos (Total 92 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
9 videos
Major Controversies with Screening Programs13m
Evaluation of Screening Programs10m
Bias in Screening Programs7m
Planning a Screening Program, Part I10m
Planning a Screening Program, Part II7m
Example of a Decision Aid for Screening3m
Screening Program Implementation13m
Future Directions in Screening Programs - Module 8 Conclusion_new video21m
2 readings
Suggested discussion45m
Policies and evaluation5m
1 practice exercises
Evaluation, Planning, Implementation and the Future of Screening Programs40m
4.3
83%
50%
Top Reviews
By JG•Jan 8th 2018
very interesting. I learned a lot about diseases. Very informative course.
By TB•Apr 14th 2018
First impression; very good! Have only started the first module
Instructors
Antoine Flahault
Professor of Public Health and Director of the Institute of Global Health (Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva) and co-Director of Centre Virchow-Villermé (Université Paris Descartes)
Fred Paccaud (In Partnership with UNIGE)
Professor of epidemiology and public health and Director of the Institute of social and preventive medicine
Gillian Bartlett-Esquilant
Professor of Epidemiology and Research and Graduate Program Director and Associate Chair for the Department of Family Medicine at McGill University.About University of Geneva
Founded in 1559, the University of Geneva (UNIGE) is one of Europe's leading universities. Devoted to research, education and dialogue, the UNIGE shares the international calling of its host city, Geneva, a centre of international and multicultural activities with a venerable cosmopolitan tradition.
About University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne is a Swiss state university founded in 1537. It is focused on Medicine, Life Sciences, Geosciences, Environmental Sciences, Business, Humanities, Social Sciences and Sport Sciences. UNIL is a research-intensive university which encourages interdisciplinarity. It is also renowned for its innovative teaching methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I pay for this course?
If you pay for this course, you will have access to all of the features and content you need to earn a Course Certificate. If you complete the course successfully, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. Note that the Course Certificate does not represent official academic credit from the partner institution offering the course.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
Yes! Coursera provides financial aid to learners who would like to complete a course but cannot afford the course fee. To apply for aid, select "Learn more and apply" in the Financial Aid section below the "Enroll" button. You'll be prompted to complete a simple application; no other paperwork is required.
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center
Coursera provides universal access to the world’s best education,
partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online.
© 2018 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
