This course introduces the core concepts of epidemiology: what it is, why it matters, and how epidemiologic reasoning moves from observation to effective public health action. Grounded in the chapter “The Epidemiologic Approach to Disease and Intervention,” it covers the discipline’s definitions and objectives, the prevention framework (primary, secondary, tertiary), the two-step process of moving from association to causation, and three landmark case studies — Ignáz Semmelweis, Edward Jenner, and John Snow — that shaped modern public health before the biology of disease was even understood.
By the end of this course, you will be able to explain epidemiology’s core objectives, distinguish levels of prevention, describe how epidemiologists reason from association to causation, and recount how three historic investigations translated observational data into life-saving policy.
Capacity Building and Resilience Open Learning Web-based Network
Author
Capacity Building and Resilience Open Learning Web-based Network (CROWN) is a virtual and open-access initiative as part of Areta Aramak Research Services Organization efforts in public health and beyond workforce development
Course Outline
Foundations of Epidemiology
Lesson 1 of 3 within section Foundations of Epidemiology.
The Four Objectives of Epidemiology
Lesson 2 of 3 within section Foundations of Epidemiology.
Epidemiology and Public Policy
Lesson 3 of 3 within section Foundations of Epidemiology.
The Changing Burden of Disease
The Epidemiologic Transition
Lesson 1 of 3 within section The Changing Burden of Disease.
Life Expectancy: Gains at Birth vs. at Age 65
Lesson 2 of 3 within section The Changing Burden of Disease.
Identifying High-Risk Groups
Lesson 3 of 3 within section The Changing Burden of Disease.
The Architecture of Prevention
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention
Lesson 1 of 3 within section The Architecture of Prevention.
Population-Based vs. High-Risk Approaches to Prevention
Lesson 2 of 3 within section The Architecture of Prevention.
Prevention and Treatment: An Illusory Divide
Lesson 3 of 3 within section The Architecture of Prevention.
Epidemiology in the Clinic
Population Data as the Foundation of Diagnosis and Prognosis
Lesson 1 of 3 within section Epidemiology in the Clinic.
From Association to Causation
Lesson 2 of 3 within section Epidemiology in the Clinic.
Descriptive Data as a Starting Point
Lesson 3 of 3 within section Epidemiology in the Clinic.
Landmark Case Studies in Epidemiologic Reasoning
Ignáz Semmelweis and Childbed Fever
Lesson 1 of 4 within section Landmark Case Studies in Epidemiologic Reasoning.
Edward Jenner and the Conquest of Smallpox
Lesson 2 of 4 within section Landmark Case Studies in Epidemiologic Reasoning.
John Snow and the Broad Street Pump
Lesson 3 of 4 within section Landmark Case Studies in Epidemiologic Reasoning.
Why These Case Studies Still Matter
Lesson 4 of 4 within section Landmark Case Studies in Epidemiologic Reasoning.
Causation Without Full Mechanistic Knowledge
Rheumatic Fever and the Streptococcus Puzzle
Lesson 1 of 3 within section Causation Without Full Mechanistic Knowledge.
Smoking, Lung Cancer, and Acting on Incomplete Evidence
Lesson 2 of 3 within section Causation Without Full Mechanistic Knowledge.
Breast vs. Lung Cancer Mortality Trends in Women
Lesson 3 of 3 within section Causation Without Full Mechanistic Knowledge.
Attributing Mortality Decline & Course Synthesis
The Kass Graphs: Social Change vs. Medical Intervention
Lesson 1 of 3 within section Attributing Mortality Decline & Course Synthesis.
Hand Hygiene Compliance Today
Lesson 2 of 3 within section Attributing Mortality Decline & Course Synthesis.
Course Synthesis and Review
Lesson 3 of 3 within section Attributing Mortality Decline & Course Synthesis.
