What is epidemiology cdc

What is Epidemiology? Minus Related Pages. What public health problems or events are investigated? What public health problems or events are investigated Environmental exposures Lead and heavy metals Air pollutants and other asthma triggers Infectious diseases Foodborne illness Influenza and pneumonia Injuries Increased homicides in a community National surge in domestic violence Non-infectious diseases Localized or widespread rise in a particular type of cancer Increase in a major birth defect Natural disasters Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Haiti earthquake Terrorism World Trade Center Anthrax release Related Links.

Indeed, the term health-related states or events may be seen as anything that affects the well-being of a population. Therefore, the clinician and the epidemiologist have different responsibilities when faced with a person with illness. For example, when a patient with diarrheal disease presents, both are interested in establishing the correct diagnosis. However, while the clinician usually focuses on treating and caring for the individual, the epidemiologist focuses on identifying the exposure or source that caused the illness; the number of other persons who may have been similarly exposed; the potential for further spread in the community; and interventions to prevent additional cases or recurrences.

Like the practice of medicine, the practice of epidemiology is both a science and an art. To make the proper diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment for a patient, the clinician combines medical scientific knowledge with experience, clinical judgment, and understanding of the patient.

Epidemiology is the study scientific, systematic, data-driven of the distribution frequency, pattern and determinants causes, risk factors of health-related states and events not just diseases in specified populations patient is community, individuals viewed collectively , and the application of since epidemiology is a discipline within public health this study to the control of health problems. Below are three key terms taken from the definition of epidemiology, followed by a list of activities that an epidemiologist might perform.

Match the term to the activity that best describes it. You should match only one term per activity. Check your answer. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

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Summary of notifiable diseases—United States, Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. After studying this lesson and answering the questions in the exercises, you will be able to: Define epidemiology Summarize the historical evolution of epidemiology Name some of the key uses of epidemiology Identify the core epidemiology functions Describe primary applications of epidemiology in public health practice Specify the elements of a case definition and state the effect of changing the value of any of the elements List the key features and uses of descriptive epidemiology List the key features and uses of analytic epidemiology List the three components of the epidemiologic triad Describe the different modes of transmission of communicable disease in a population.

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