SITK23001U Course in Register Based Epidemiology

Volume 2023/2024
Education

MSc in Health Informatics - compulsory

MSc. in Business Administration and Innovation in Health Care - mandatory in two tracks at CBS

Content

Historical tradition in comprehensive, systematic collection of health data for entire Danish population into national health registers, presents unique opportunities for public health informatics and basis for effective disease surveillance and public health promotion in Denmark. This course will provide an introduction to the field of public health informatics and the key concepts, including public health, information systems, disease classification, big data management, descriptive epidemiology, data quality and validation. Furthermore, the course will provide an overview of the major Danish health registers and, for selected registers (CPR, Cause of Death Register, Cancer Registry, National Patient Register, Diabetes Register, etc.) a detailed insight will be provided into their background, purpose, historical development, technical aspects of data collection and content, and data quality and validity. Examples will be given of Danish register application in epidemiological research in areas such as disease surveillance, risk factors for chronic diseases, prevention and treatment, evaluation of screening programs, surveillance of epidemics, etc. Students will work with vital disease statistics, such as birth rates, mortality, prevalence and incidence rates for the major chronic diseases (cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, etc.). Students will learn how to define these different health outcomes from Danish health registers through hands-on exercises with real register data, by using statistical software. Examples will be given of Danish register application in epidemiological research in areas such as disease surveillance, risk factors for chronic diseases, prevention and treatment, evaluation of screening programs, surveillance of epidemics, etc. Students will work with vital disease statistics, such as birth rates, mortality, prevalence and incidence rates for the major chronic diseases (cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, etc.). Students will learn how to define these different health outcomes from Danish health registers through hands-on exercises with real register data, by using statistical software. Examples will be given of Danish register application in epidemiological research in areas such as disease surveillance, risk factors for chronic diseases, prevention and treatment, evaluation of screening programs, surveillance of epidemics, etc. Students will work with vital disease statistics, such as birth rates, mortality, prevalence and incidence rates for the major chronic diseases (cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, etc.). Students will learn how to define these different health outcomes from Danish health registers through hands-on exercises with real register data, by using statistical software. such as birth rates, mortality, prevalence and incidence rates for the major chronic diseases (cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, etc.). Students will learn how to define these different health outcomes from Danish health registers through hands-on exercises with real register data, by using statistical software. such as birth rates, mortality, prevalence and incidence rates for the major chronic diseases (cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, etc.).

Learning Outcome

Aim is that the students master the basic public health informatics and epidemiological concepts and methods, and learn about the most important Danish national registers and diseases/major causes of death. This will be accomplished by exercises in management of register data and programming using statistical software, and by reading and presenting selected state-of-the-art articles which illustrate application of Danish health registers in epidemiological research in areas as prevention/risk factors of chronic diseases, cancer screening, environmental epidemiology, trends in disease occurrence, side effects of treatments, etc. Students will also learn to critically evaluate the quality of the data in health registers and how to evaluate the validity of register data by comparison to alternative data sources . Furthermore,   

At the end of the course students should be able to:

Knowledge

  • - explain the content and structure of the data in the selected Danish health registers

  • - explain different disease classification systems used in Danish registers

  • - understand and explain epidemiological frequency (prevalence, incidence rates) and association measures (relative risk, odds ratio) 

  • - explain the use of registers for both administrative and research purposes

  • - explain the quality indicators and validity of register data and can explain the methods for evaluation of validity

  • - explain the application/use of the register data

Skills

  • - perform editing of register data ahead of statistical analyzes in statistical software

  • - perform analyzes of register data in statistical software and calculate person-years, mortality rates, prevalence and incidence rates

  • - understand and explain correctly the results/output of the performed analyzes in statistical software

  • - evaluate and decide whether analyzes were made correctly and identify possible sources of error

Competences

  • - explain how collected register data can be used as quality indicators

  • - explain application of register data in descriptive and analytical epidemiology

  • - explain under which circumstances data can be used in informing the citizens 
  • - analyze registry data
  • - explain the balance between detail and 'noise' in data (misclassification and statistical variation) in registers

  • -understand, interpret and disseminate results of analyzes based on Danish register data from published epidemiological studies in peer-reviewed journals

Epidemiological articles, textbook: Gordis 'Epidemiology',  

Lectures and exercises with register data in statistical software
Be advised that you will have to pass the exam (SITK20002E) connected to this course to receive the ECTS.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 28
  • Preparation
  • 142,5
  • Exercises
  • 27
  • Seminar
  • 9
  • Exam
  • 5
  • Total
  • 211,5
Oral
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination, 5 hours under invigilation
Type of assessment details
Written eksam consists of a number of questions which can be answered by using data sets provided at the time of exam. Questions are answered during the 5 hour exam by programminug in statistical software.
Aid
All aids allowed

All help/material - including notes uploaded to Digital Notes (you will find a link for this feature in connection with your test in Digital Exam) is allowed, but not devices that allow for external communication (mobile phones, internet acces to messenger, etc .).

Find more information about written on-site exams in the exam rooms, incl. information about standard programs on the exam PCs at KUnet

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examination
Criteria for exam assesment

To get the highest grade, student should illustrate:

  • explain the content and structure of the data in the selected Danish health registers
  • explain different disease classification systems used in Danish registers
  • explain the quality indicators and validity of register data and can explain the methods for evaluation of validity
  • explain the use of registers for both administrative and research purposes
  • explain how collected register data can be used as quality, process and result indicators
  • perform editing of raw register data in a format suitable for statistical analyzes in statistical software
  • perform analyzes of register data in statistical software and calculate person-years, mortality rates, prevalence and incidence rates
  • explain application of register data in descriptive and analytical epidemiology
  • explain under which circumstances data can be used in informing the citizens 
  • explain the balance between detail and 'noise' in data (misclassification and statistical variation) in registers
  • explain the quality indicators and validity of register data and can explain the methods for evaluation of validity