زاهر نزال
طبيعة العمل
أكاديمي
المهنة
استاذ مشارك
البريد الإلكتروني
[email protected]
هاتف المكتب
(+970) 9 2345113 Ext. 2360

زاهر نزال

طبيعة العمل
أكاديمي
المهنة
استاذ مشارك
البريد الإلكتروني
[email protected]
هاتف المكتب
(+970) 9 2345113 Ext. 2360
Public Health & Epidemiology for Optometry - 7106202
Course Title
Public Health & Epidemiology for Optometry
Course Number
7106202
Instructor Name
زاهر نزال
Contact Information
[email protected]
Semester(s) and academic year(s)
First Semester 2019
First Semester 2018
First Semester 2017
Compulsory / Elective
Compulsory
Course Description

This course offers an introduction to Public Health definition, functions, strategies, and approaches and its role in eye health & prevention of blindness. It also introduces the approaches and methods used in describing the diseases in communities (descriptive epidemiology) and epidemiological study design, bias, confounding, and measures of risk used in the study of disease etiology (analytic epidemiology).

Course Objectives

Public health and Epidemiology is the key discipline underlying medical research, public health practice and health care evaluation. The understanding of its principles and practice is crucial for all people involved in the design or assessment of epidemiological studies and health care

The purpose of this course is to:

  • To have a basic understanding of public health and understand its role in eye health & prevention of blindness
  • Introduce students to the basic ideas and methods of epidemiology
Intended learning Outcomes and Competences

On completion of this course, student should be able to:

A. Knowledge and understanding

A.1 Define and discuss key terms, functions, and areas in public health.

A.2 Describe the different concepts, perspectives and determinants of Health.

A.3 Define and Describe the main uses of epidemiology

A.4 Explain the role of epidemiology, the major public health issues and epidemiology’s contribution to other health related disciplines.

A.5 Discuss the concepts of natural history and prevention of health related events

A.6 Describe what screening is, when it is used and how it can be evaluated.

A.7 Identify the epidemiological methods in studying causes of disease

A.8 Tell the main types of epidemiological study including their strengths and weaknesses and when to use them

A.9 Describe the major potential sources of error (bias, confounding and measurement error) and discuss strategies to minimize them

B- Intellectual skills

B.1 Acquire the required skills for implementing the epidemiology basics and methods in the fields of disease prevention and health promotion.

B.2 Calculate measures of disease frequency, effect and impact, and know when to use each measure

B.3 Apply an appropriate study design to address a specific epidemiological question

B.4 Calculate sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of a clinical test

C- Professional skills

C.1 Apply the steps of analysing epidemiological data

C.2 Evaluate the validity and reliability of a clinical test

C.3 Write the epidemiology basics and methods in the fields of disease prevention and health promotion

C.4 Solve problems on levels of prevention, study designs, and screening

D. General and transferable skills

D.1 Manage time and take responsibility for learning required for continuous professional development

D.2 Communicate effectively with colleagues

D.3 Study independently to explore and browse for given search points

Textbook and References
  • R Bonita, R Beaglehole, T Kjellström, Basic Epidemiology  2nd edition, WHO 2006 
  • Leon Gordis: Epidemiology, 4th edition, Elsevier 2009
Assessment Criteria
Activity Percent (%)
First Exam 20%
Second Exam 20%
First Exam 45%
Assignments and in class activities 15%