Purpose: Comment on the following Clinical Epidemiology Discussion
Thing to Remember:
- Answer this discussion with opinions/ideas creatively and clearly. Supports post using several outside, peer-reviewed sources.
- 1 References, find resources that are 5 years or less
- No errors with APA format 6 Edition
To Comment
Epidemiology is defined as the analysis and study of the causes, effects, and patterns of health and disease conditions in identified populations. Epidemiology is the basis of public health, and it shapes evidence-based practice as well as policy decisions. By recognizing risk factors for all disease targets for the accomplishment of preventive health care, and it also helps with statistical analysis, study design, collection and dissemination of outcomes. Key areas of epidemiology study entail disease transmission, causation, outbreak investigation, screening, forensic epidemiology and biomonitoring among others. Epidemiology mostly depends on other scientific disciplines, for example, biology, to better understand disease statistics and processes to ensure effective data use as well as appropriate conclusions.
When working or dealing with statistics, it is crucial to identify the different types of data which include numerical data, categorical and ordinal data; data can be referred to as actual pieces of information, which one assembles through the study. Numerical data have a meaning as a measurement, for example, a person’s weight, height, blood pressure or IQ (Fletcher, Fletcher, and Fletcher, 2014). Numerical data can be discrete or continuous. Discrete data represent items, which can be counted and they take on possible values, which can be listed out. Continuous data represent measurements and their possible values cannot be counted and instead they can be described through the use of intervals on the real number line. Categorical data stands for characteristics such as person’s marital status, gender, and hometown as well as things they like. On the other hand, ordinal data mixes categorical data and numerical data.
Performance measurement is categorized into reliability, range, validity, interpretability, and responsiveness. Variability occurs for various reasons in a particular study, for example, the study that involves assembling data from human beings for data can become unavailable for different reasons. The information or data shared in the National Center for Health Statistics site is way much enlightening. A lot worth borrowing for practice has been said on this site (Fletcher, Fletcher, and Fletcher, 2014). The study or site covers a statistic indicating that between the year 2000 and 2014, the COPD associated death rate decreased for both women and men aged 65 to 84 years. The rate hyped for both men and women aged 45 to 64 years and most women 85 and over.
Reference
Fletcher, R. H., Fletcher, S. W., & Fletcher, G. S. (2014). Clinical Epidemiology: The Essentials. Philadelphia: LWW.