TEACHING OCCUPATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY IN THE UK

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TEACHING OCCUPATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY IN THE UK

• PROF. JOHN HARRISON
• ACADEMIC DEAN
• FACULTY OF OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

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WHO TRAINS?

• DOCTORS
• NURSES
• OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENISTS
• OTHERS?

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OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

• DIPLOMA IN OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE
• ASSOCIATE OF F.O.M.
• DISSERTATION

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DIPLOMA IN OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

• EFFECTS OF WORK ON HEALTH MODULE
• PART OF PRINCIPLES OF OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE,
  TOXICOLOGY, ERGONOMICS EPIDEMIOLOGY
• 1 HOUR OF TEACHING(?)

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A.F.O.M.

• EPIDEMIOLOGY AND STATISTICS MODULE
• 2 WRITTEN QUESTIONS IN EXAM
• ORAL EXAMINATION

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A.F.O.M.

• DESCRIPTIVE EPI.
• ROUTINE STATISTICS OF MORTALITY MORBIDITY
• ANALYTICAL EPI.

• SURVEY RESEARCH METHODS
• REPEATABILITY AND VALIDITY
• SENSITIVITY SPECIFICITY

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A.F.O.M.

• STUDY DESIGN
• DATA INTERPRETATION
• BIAS
• CONFOUNDING
• CHANCE

• THE HEALTHY WORKER EFFECT

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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.

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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.

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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/

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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

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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 studies
• in the context of a specific research question.

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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.

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AIMS OF MODULE

• Understand how to summarize and interpret
  environmental exposure data.

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

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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.

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TUTORIALS / PRACTICALS

• REGIONALLY-BASED TUTORIALS
• EARLY EXPOSURE TO EPIDEMIOLOGYLECTURES AND
  INTERACTIVE SESSIONS
• PRACTICAL COURSE AFTER 6 MONTHS (In Manchester)

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MSc DISSERTATION
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OH NURSING

• NO NATIONAL CURRICULUM
• EACH UNIVERSITY DEVELOPS OWN CURRICULUM WITHIN
  CENTRAL GUIDELINES TO DELIVER COMPETENCIES SET BY
  N.M.C.

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UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

• HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS
• DEFINITIONS
• METHODS
• TYPES OF STUDY

• MORTALITY STATISTICS
• OTHER STATISTICS
• CONFOUNDING / OTHER FACTORS
• CASE STUDY - ASBESTOS

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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.