Quantitative methods for health research: a practical interactive guide to epidemiology and statistics

Quantitative Research Methods for Health Professionals: A Practical Interactive Course is a superb introduction to epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology for the whole health care community. Drawing examples from a wide range of health research, this practical handbook covers important contemporary health research methods such as survival analysis, Cox regression, and meta-analysis, the understanding of which go beyond introductory concepts. The book includes self-assessment exercises throughout to help students explore and reflect on their understanding and a clear distinction is made between a) knowledge and concepts that all students should ensure they understand and b) those that can be pursued by students who wish to do so. The authors incorporate a program of practical exercises in SPSS using a prepared data set that helps to consolidate the theory and develop skills and confidence in data handling, analysis and interpretation.

ProQuest Ebook Central Purchased.

9.4 The Cochrane Collaboration.

Quantitative Methods for Health Research -- Contents -- Preface -- 1 Philosophy of science and introduction to epidemiology -- Introduction and learning objectives -- 1.1 Approaches to scientific research -- 1.2 Formulating a research question -- 1.3 Rates: incidence and prevalence -- 1.4 Concepts of prevention -- 1.5 Answers to self-assessment exercises -- 2 Routine data sources and descriptive epidemiology -- Introduction and learning objectives -- 2.1 Routine collection of health information -- 2.2 Descriptive epidemiology -- 2.3 Information on the environment.

2.4 Displaying, describing and presenting data -- 2.5 Summary of routinely available data -- 2.6 Descriptive epidemiology in action -- 2.7 Overview of epidemiological study designs -- 2.8 Answers to self-assessment exercises -- 3 Standardisation -- Introduction and learning objectives -- 3.1 Health inequalities in Merseyside -- 3.2 Indirect standardisation: calculation of the standardised mortality ratio (SMR) -- 3.3 Direct standardisation -- 3.4 Standardisation for factors other than age -- 3.5 Answers to self-assessment exercises -- 4 Surveys -- Introduction and learning objectives.

4.1 Purpose and context -- 4.2 Sam…