Epidemiological methods


 * Assistant Editor(s)-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S.

Overview
Texts and literature in epidemiology often make use of jargon related to epidemiological methods without reference to their actual definition.

A number of basic concepts recur with particular frequency:
 * Hazard ratio, also known as the Incidence Rate Ratio
 * Odds ratio
 * Risk ratio
 * Relative risk, a generic term for Rate Ratio, Risk Ratio, and sometimes the Odds Ratio.

Measures

 * 1) Measures of frequency/occurrence
 * 2) Incidence measures
 * 3) Incidence rate, where cases included are defined using a case definition
 * 4) Hazard rate
 * 5) Cumulative incidence
 * 6) Prevalence measures
 * 7) Point prevalence
 * 8) Period prevalence
 * 9) Measures of association
 * 10) Relative measures
 * 11) Risk ratio
 * 12) Rate ratio
 * 13) Odds ratio
 * 14) Hazard ratio
 * 15) Absolute measures
 * 16) Risk/rate/incidence difference
 * 17) Attributable risk
 * 18) Attributable risk in exposed
 * 19) Percent attributable risk
 * 20) Levin’s attributable risk
 * 21) Other measures
 * 22) Virulence and Infectivity
 * 23) Mortality rate and Morbidity
 * 24) Case fatality
 * 25) Sensitivity (tests) and Specificity (tests)

Related Chapters

 * Study design
 * Epidemiology

Resources

 * Epidemiologic.org Epidemiologic Inquiry online weblog for epidemiology researchers
 * Epidemiology Forum A discussion and forum community for epi analysis support and fostering questions, debates, and collaborations in epidemiology
 * The Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at Oxford maintains an on-line "Toolbox" of evidence based medicine methods.
 * Epimonitor has a comprehensive list of links to associations, agencies, bulletins, etc.
 * Epidemiology for the Uninitiated On line text, with easy explanations.
 * North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness Training On line training classes for epidemiology and related topics.