Biostatistics and data analysis
Learning outcomes of the course unit
By the end of the course the student should have learnd about the basic principles of medical statistics and of epidemiology. The student will be able to use the main medical statistical indicators, to program sampling, to determine if a diagnostic test is accurate, and to describe relationships among variables.
Course contents summary
Introduction to epidemiology.
Descriptive statistics.
Experimental design. Sampling.
Regression and correlation
Clinical and environmental epidemiology.
Evaluating the health status of a population, the effectiveness of a therapy. Diagnostic tests.
Use of principal statistical software’s.
Recommended readings
R.Beaglehole, R. Bonita, T. Kjellström, Epidemiologia di base, Edizione italiana a cura di G. Agazzotti, Editoriale Fernando Folini, Casalnoceto, 1997.
M.L. Bacchi Reggiani, E. Baldi Cosseddu, A. Dormi. Principi di statistica ed epidemiologia, Società editrice Esculapio, 2010
Other textbooks
P.Armitage, G. Berr, Statistical methods in medical research, Blackwell
Teaching methods
Frontal lectures, practise exercises on the PC
Assessment methods and criteria
Assessment of the student’s achievements will first take place in the computer lab with few practical exercises, and secondly orally to test the knowledge of the program discussed in class.
With respect to the Dublin’s descriptors, it will be evaluated:
• knowledge and comprehension of the topics discussed in the classroom, considering also the use of text books
• the capacity to apply the acquired knowledge to case studies, where of critical importance will be the capacity to collect data, to interpret them, and to communicate them in a clear and critical way
