| Title: |
Epidemiology & Control of Infectious Diseases in Outbreak Settings (EPICID) ONLINE |
| Keywords: |
Statistics
Outbreaks
Epidemiology
Disease prevention, control and elimination
Communicable diseases
|
| Country: |
Germany
|
| Institution: |
Germany - Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)
|
| Course coordinator: |
Dr Dewi Ismajani Puradiredja
|
| Date start: |
2022-11-07 |
| Date end: |
2022-11-25 |
| About duration and dates: |
The course is full time and covers a period of 3 weeks, and 4 hours of pre-course sessions. Application deadline: 02 August 2021. |
| Classification: |
advanced optional
|
| Mode of delivery: |
Distance-based
|
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|
| ECTS credit points: |
3.5 ECTS credits
|
|
SIT:
105 SIT (incl. 66 hours contact time (incl. 4 hours of pre-course sessions) + 23.5 hours self-study + 14 hours group-based simulated outbreak investigation + 1.5 hours individual assessed assignment) |
|
| Language: |
English
|
Description:
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
i. Design, carry out, analyse, interpret and report an outbreak investigation as part of interdisciplinary teams
ii. Explain the key principles underpinning infectious disease epidemiology, and the epidemiological steps in outbreak investigations
iii. Discuss current issues in infectious diseases (e.g. viral haemorrhagic fevers, malaria, neglected tropical diseases) and their control (e.g. vaccines, infectious disease prevention and control strategies, surveillance)
iv. Design questionnaires and manage data using REDCap
v. Conduct descriptive statistics, measures of frequency and measures of association using R
vi. Discuss field operational issues, including laboratory services and diagnostics in the field, and infectious disease prevention and control strategies |
|
Assessment Procedures:
Towards the end of course week 3 the students will have to complete:
i. Individual assignment: 1.5 hours online written exam, involving 47 multiple choice questions as well as equation-based calculations (80%)
in order to assess LOs i), ii), and v)
ii. Group assignment: 15 mins online oral presentation of group-based outbreak investigation (20%)
In order to assess LOs iii), iv), and vi)
A failing grade in one of the two assignments is allowed as long as the total mark for the module is 60% or better. A fail in the individual exam can be re-sit the day after the course has ended. Alternatively, a report (1500 words) based on the simulated outbreak investigation can be submitted within one week after the course has ended.
The individual assignment can be resit only once; in case of a successful resit or resubmission participants will get the pass mark (60%) |
|
Content:
The module includes sections addressing the following topics:
Section 1 Principles of Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Outbreak Investigations
The first section provides an overview of the key principles of infectious disease epidemiology and provides epidemiological methods applicable to the investigation of outbreaks.
Section 2 Data collection, management and analysis for outbreak investigations
This section deals with questionnaire design and interviewing, outbreak investigation data collection and management using REDCap, and data analysis using R
Section 3 Field operations and laboratory services
This section covers field operations and laboratory services within the context of outbreak investigations. Topics range from mobile laboratories and diagnostics in the field to infectious disease prevention and control strategies.
Section 4 Current issues in infectious diseases and their control
This section provides an overview of current issues in infectious diseases and their control with a focus on a selection of infectious diseases/pathogens, such as Malaria, haemorrhagic fever viruses, neglected tropical diseases, and Salmonella. This section also covers vaccines and vaccine programmes.
Cross-cutting topics include:
Interdisciplinary communication |
|
Methods:
The course includes tutor-facilitated pre-course sessions (4 hours) during which the virtual conferencing software (Webex) and the virtual learning platform (Moodle) are being introduced, and the installation of the statistical software (R and R Studio) will be demonstrated and tested. Students are also expected to work through a series of REDCap online video tutorials independently.
This will be followed by a period of 3 weeks, in which students engage full-time in tutor-facilitated and self-directed learning activities, including interactive lectures (28 hours), and individual- and group-based practical sessions (34 hours), self study (23.5 hours) a written exam (1.5 hours), and a simulated outbreak investigation, which participants are asked to carry out in groups (14 hours). As part of the outbreak investigation, participants apply the key skills learnt during the course (i.e. interviewing, questionnaire design and data management using RedCap, data analysis in R, interpretation, and reporting of findings). |
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Prerequisites:
Basic training in epidemiology and statistics is required, as well as a sufficiently stable internet connection. General computer skills are necessary in order to be able to work with software packages REDCap and R. The course is intensive and a strong command of the English language is essential. tropEd and other students who would like to take the course as part of their degree should demonstrate an English language proficiency equivalent to TOEFL test 550 or 213 computer-based or 79/80 internet-based or IELTS band 6.0, unless they are native speakers or they can provide written proof of having completed higher education in English. |
|
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Attendance:
30 (max. 25 tropEd students) |
|
Selection:
EPICID strives to have a diverse student group. Selection criteria include:
- Time of submission of application
- Motivational statement
- Previous professional and academic experience
- Country of origin (low, middle or high income country)
- tropEd student status |
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Fees:
General admission: 1650 € (1350 € if participants pay within 2 weeks of acceptance notification)
tropEd student and applicants from low- and middle-income countries: 1200 € (900 € if participants pay within 2 weeks of acceptance notification). |
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Scholarships:
Participants from low and middle-income countries can apply for an Ortrud Mührer Travel Grant. For more details and the application form, please contact: shortcourse@bnitm.de |
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tropEd accreditation:
Accredites at tropED Online GA Feb 2021 (valid until 2026) |
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Remarks:
Contingent on the development of the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic, the course will be either offered face-to-face or online.
Students will have access to the BNITM virtual learning environment (Moodle). The Moodle-based EPICID course room will be the main means of communication with the group and for sharing key course-related information and training materials, such as lecture hand-outs, practice data sets, and R-Scripts.
Recommended readings include:
Giesecke J, (2017). Modern Infectious Disease Epidemiology. 3rd Ed. Hodder Arnold. ISBN: 9781444180022.
Krämer A, Kretzschmar M, Krickeberg K (Eds) (2010); Modern Infectious Disease Epidemiology: Concepts, Methods, Mathematical Models And Public Health. Statistics for Biology and Health. New York: Springer
Rothman KJ, Greenland S, Lash TL (Eds). Modern Epidemiology 3 rd Edition. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins 2008 ISBN 031675780-2.
Kirkwood B. Sterne J. Essential Medical Statistics. 2nd Edition Blackwell Scientific 2003. ISBN 0865428719.
Heymann, DL (Ed.). Control of Communicable Diseases in Man (19th Edition). American Public Health Association 2008 ISBN 087553189X |
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| Email Address: |
puradiredja@bnitm.de |
| Date Of Record Creation: |
2021-03-15 03:30:17 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Of Record Release: |
2021-03-15 09:35:45 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Record Checked: |
2021-03-15 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Last Modified: |
2021-11-21 18:58:44 (W3C-DTF) |
