Choosing an appropriate study design is a critical decision that can largely determine whether your study will successfully answer your research question. A quick look at the contents page of a biomedical journal or even at the health news section of a news website is enough to tell you that there are many different ways to conduct epidemiological research.
This course is part of the Epidemiology for Public Health Specialization
Study Designs in Epidemiology
Offered By
About this Course
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What you will learn
Compare and contrast different epidemiological study designs in order to describe their strengths and weaknesses.
Skills you will gain
Randomized Controlled TrialCase-Control StudyStudy designsCohort
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Intermediate Level
A background in health sciences or/and quantitative methods would be useful, but not essential.
Approx. 8 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
Offered by
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a world top ten university with an international reputation for excellence in science, engineering, medicine and business. located in the heart of London. Imperial is a multidisciplinary space for education, research, translation and commercialisation, harnessing science and innovation to tackle global challenges.
Start working towards your Master's degree
This course is part of the 100% online Global Master of Public Health from Imperial College London.
If you are admitted to the full program, your courses count towards your degree learning.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
3 hours to complete
Introduction to Study Designs: Ecological and Cross-Sectional Studies
The range of different study designs can be quite confusing. However, to help you navigate the maze of study designs, we can split them into groups which share common characteristics. In this module, you will be introduced to these common characteristics, and you will learn the main principles of ecological and cross-sectional studies, as well as when it is appropriate to use them. By the end of the module, you will be able to identify and critically consider the advantages and disadvantages of these study designs.
3 hours to complete
4 videos (Total 15 min), 7 readings, 1 quiz
4 videos
Epidemiological Studies4m
Ecological Studies4m
Cross-sectional Studies3m
7 readings
About Imperial College & the team5m
How to be successful in this course5m
Grading policy5m
Glossary & Additional readings 20m
Case-reports and Case-series5m
Primary and Secondary Data10m
Quiz Instructions2m
1 practice exercise
Ecological and Cross-sectional Studies30m
1 hour to complete
Case Control Studies
This module focuses on case-control studies, which is one of the best known epidemiological study designs. Case-control studies are particularly useful when you don’t have the luxury of waiting for a long follow-up period to conclude. In this module, you will learn the key elements of case-control study design, and you will learn how to estimate the appropriate measure of association when presented with data from a case-control study.
1 hour to complete
3 videos (Total 14 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
3 videos
Measures of Association in Case-control Studies6m
Calculating Odds Ratios4m
3 readings
Selecting Controls in Case-control Studies10m
Recap: Case-control Studies10m
Quiz Instructions2m
1 practice exercise
Case-control Studies30m
2 hours to complete
Cohort Studies and Nested Studies
Cohorts were ancient Roman military units, but in modern epidemiology the word “cohort” is used to describe a group with a shared characteristic. In cohort studies, we follow groups of people over time, we collect data on their exposure and outcome, and try to estimate whether there is an association between the group-defining characteristic and the outcome of interest. In this module, you will learn how to design such a study, the kind of problems which may arise and how it compares with case-control studies. You will also learn about nested case-control and case-cohort studies, which allow us to harness the advantages of cohort studies in more efficient ways. By the end of the module, you will be able to choose the best study design in a variety of contexts.
2 hours to complete
5 videos (Total 20 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes
5 videos
Measures of Association in Cohort Studies4m
Calculating Relative Risks3m
Nested Case-control Study4m
Case-cohort Study Design3m
5 readings
Recap: Cohort Studies10m
Strengths and Weaknesses of Cohort and Case-control Studies15m
Quiz Instructions2m
Strengths and Weaknesses of Nested Case-control and Case-cohort Studies10m
Quiz Instructions2m
2 practice exercises
Cohort Studies20m
Nested Case-control and Case-cohort Studies20m
2 hours to complete
Randomised Controlled Trials
Randomised controlled trials are often seen as the gold standard of epidemiological research, especially in clinical settings, and in this module you will learn why. You will learn the main design features of randomised clinical trials, why they are so important, and the difficulties and limitations in applying these principles in real life. By the end of this module, you will know how to design a randomised clinical trial and how to decide which is the best analytical approach for the data you have obtained.
2 hours to complete
4 videos (Total 21 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes
4 videos
The Randomisation Process6m
Blinding in Randomised Controlled Trials5m
Course Summary1m
4 readings
Strengths and Weaknesses of Randomised Controlled Trials10m
Quiz Instructions2m
Overview of Study Designs10m
Quiz Instructions2m
2 practice exercises
Randomised Controlled Trials20m
Comparing Study Designs20m
Reviews
4.8
TOP REVIEWS FROM STUDY DESIGNS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY
by CMay 29, 2019
I think I'm in love... with Epidemiology. With each subsequent course, my thirst to understand epidemiology deepens. Thank you for this opportunity
by RRDec 27, 2019
Excellent overview of different epidemiological study designs! I learned a lot from this course.
by AFNov 26, 2019
This is absolutely a comprehensive course that elevates one's knowledge in Epidemiology.
by ABJan 4, 2020
This course was very helpful and relevant to my work.
About the Epidemiology for Public Health Specialization
Thousands of new epidemiological studies are conducted every year and their results can have a profound impact on how we live our lives. Decisions regarding the food you eat, how much you exercise, where you live and what treatment you will follow if you get sick are made based on data from such studies. This specialization aims to equip you with the skills that will allow you to correctly interpret epidemiological research, consider its limitations, and design your own studies.
The first course of the specialisation, Measuring Disease in Epidemiology, looks into the main measures used in epidemiology and how these can inform decisions around public health policy, screening and prevention.
The second course, Study Designs in Epidemiology, provides an overview of the most common study designs, their strengths and limitations.
The third course, Validity and Bias in Epidemiology, builds on the fundamental concepts taught in the previous courses to discuss bias and confounding and how they might affect study results. It also provides the essential skills to prevent and control bias and confounding and critically think about causality.
At the end of this specialization you will have gained the essential skills to design and critique epidemiological research and you will be able to pursue more advanced courses in epidemiology. Although this specialization is part of the GMPH programme, it can be taken independently of the GMPH.
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 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.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
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