TEACHING OCCUPATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY IN THE UK

PROF. JOHN HARRISONACADEMIC DEAN

FACULTY OF OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

WHO TRAINS?

• DOCTORS

• NURSES

• OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENISTS

• OTHERS?

OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

• DIPLOMA IN OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

• ASSOCIATE OF F.O.M.

• DISSERTATION

DIPLOMA IN OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

• EFFECTS OF WORK ON HEALTH MODULE– PART OF PRINCIPLES OF OCCUPATIONAL

HYGIENE, TOXICOLOGY, ERGONOMICS EPIDEMIOLOGY

– 1 HOUR OF TEACHING(?)

A.F.O.M.

• EPIDEMIOLOGY AND STATISTICS MODULE

• 2 WRITTEN QUESTIONS IN EXAM

• ORAL EXAMINATION

A.F.O.M.

• DESCRIPTIVE EPI.• ROUTINE

STATISTICS OF MORTALITY & MORBIDITY

• ANALYTICAL EPI.

• SURVEY & RESEARCH METHODS

• REPEATABILITY AND VALIDITY

• SENSITIVITY & SPECIFICITY

A.F.O.M.

• STUDY DESIGN• DATA

INTERPRETATION– BIAS– CONFOUNDING– CHANCE

• THE HEALTHY WORKER EFFECT

DISSERTATION

“All candidates will be required to submit a thesis, dissertation or substantial original published work. The topic must be within the broad field of occupational medicine and make a useful contribution to the specialty.”

DISSERTATION

“The usual subject will be a piece of original research. The candidate will demonstrate competence in formulating and testing a research question, which is an important aspect of specialist occupational medicine practice. A significant and substantial literature review may also be acceptable or a meta-analysis of studies that have been performed on a topic relevant to occupational medicine.”

TEACHING OCCUPATIONAL EPI.

• DOCTORS IN TRAINING USUALLY ENROL WITH ONE OF SEVERAL UNIVERSITIES IN UK.

• LARGEST PROVIDER IS UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER. (CENTRE FOR OCCUPATIONAL & ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH) http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk/coeh/

ADVANCED DIPLOMA / MSc OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE /

HYGIENE

Module 2, Unit C: The Scientific Basis: Epidemiology and Stats. (50% of Unit)

TOTAL OF 8 MODULES.

PAPER-BASED SUPPORTED BY FACE-TO-FACE TEACHING

AIMS OF MODULE

• Understand the principles of an epidemiological, as distinct from a clinical or toxicological, approach to occupational health problems.

• Be able to discuss the main features ‑ including the advantages and disadvantages ‑ of:

• cohort studies• case referent studies• cross‑sectional studiesin the context of a specific

research question.

AIMS OF MODULE

• Be aware of the scope and uses of published sources of information on general and occupational mortality, and morbidity.

• Know how to calculate the common measures of mortality and morbidity.

• Know how to summarize and present other types of epidemiological data.

AIMS OF MODULE

• Understand how to summarize and interpret environmental exposure data.

• Understand the role of statistical inference in epidemiological research and compliance testing.

AIMS OF MODULE

• Be able to interpret the results of statistical methods in non‑mathematical terms.

• Understand the problems of bias and confounding and what can be done to avoid them.

• Be able to make critical assessments of research reports with respect to the appropriateness of study design and interpretation.

TUTORIALS / PRACTICALS

• REGIONALLY-BASED TUTORIALS– EARLY EXPOSURE TO EPIDEMIOLOGY

LECTURES AND INTERACTIVE SESSIONS

• PRACTICAL COURSE AFTER 6 MONTHS (In Manchester)

MSc DISSERTATION

OH NURSING

• NO NATIONAL CURRICULUM

• EACH UNIVERSITY DEVELOPS OWN CURRICULUM WITHIN CENTRAL GUIDELINES TO DELIVER COMPETENCIES SET BY N.M.C.

UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

• HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS

• DEFINITIONS • METHODS• TYPES OF STUDY

• MORTALITY STATISTICS

• OTHER STATISTICS• CONFOUNDING /

OTHER FACTORS• CASE STUDY -

ASBESTOS

CONCLUSION

• OCCUPATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY IS A COMMON FEATURE OF TRAINING IN OH DISCIPLINES IN THE U.K.

• OCC. EPI. REMAINS A KEY COMPONENT OF OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE TRAINING AND UNIV. MANCHESTER IS THE MAIN PROVIDER.