Epidemiology: A Very Short Introduction

ISBN-13: 9780199543335 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 160 str.

Rodolfo (Honorary Director of Research in Epidemiology at th

Opis

Epidemiology plays an all-important role in many areas of medicine, from discovering the relationship between tobacco smoking and lung cancer, to documenting the impact of diet, the environment, and exercise on general health, to tracking the origin and spread of new epidemics such as Swine Flu. It is truly a vital field, central to the health of society, but it is often poorly understood, largely due to misrepresentations in the media. In this Very Short Introduction, an internationally recognized authority on epidemiology, Dr. Rodolfo Saracci, provides a wealth of information on this key field, dispelling some of the myths surrounding the study of epidemiology, and explaining what epidemiology is and how vital it is to the discovery, control, and prevention of disease in world populations. Dr. Saracci provides a general explanation of the principles behind clinical trials, and explains the nature of basic statistics concerning disease. He also looks at the ethical and political issues related to obtaining and using information concerning patients, and trials involving placebos. Features Explains what epidemiology is and how vital it is to the discovery, control, and prevention of disease in world populations Looks at some of the health hazards identified by the study of epidemiology - such as the relationship between tobacco smoking and lung cancer, between various aspects of diet, environment, and exercise, and the origin and spread of new epidemics Explores the principles behind setting up clinical trials and explains the nature of the basic statistics concerning disease Considers the ethical and political issues related to obtaining and using information concerning patients and trials involving placebos

O autorze

Rodolfo Saracci is Honorary Director of research in epidemiology with the Italian National Research Council and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Arhus, Denmark. He holds postgraduate diplomas in internal medicine and medical statistics. He has worked at the World Health Organisation (WHO) for nearly thirty years and has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers.