Quantitative Methods For Health Research

Bol

A practical introduction to epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology for the whole health care community This comprehensive text, which has been extensively revised with new material and additional topics, utilizes a practical slant to introduce health professionals and students to epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology. It draws examples from a wide range of topics, covering all of the main contemporary health research methods, including survival analysis, Cox regression, and systematic reviews and meta-analysis—the explanation of which go beyond introductory concepts. This second edition of Quantitative Methods for Health Research: A Practical Interactive Guide to Epidemiology and Statistics also helps develop critical skills that will prepare students to move on to more advanced and specialized methods. A clear distinction is made between knowledge and concepts that all students should ensure they understand, and those that can be pursued further by those who wish to do so. Self-assessment exercises throughout the text help students explore and reflect on their understanding. A program of practical exercises in SPSS (using a prepared data set) helps to consolidate the theory and develop skills and confidence in data handling, analysis, and interpretation. Highlights of the book include: Combining epidemiology and bio-statistics to demonstrate the relevance and strength of statistical methods Emphasis on the interpretation of statistics using examples from a variety of public health and health care situations to stress relevance and application Use of concepts related to examples of published research to show the application of methods and balance between ideals and the realities of research in practice Integration of practical data analysis exercises to develop skills and confidence Supplementation by a student companion website which provides guidance on data handling in SPSS and study data sets as referred to in the text Quantitative Methods for Health Research, Second Edition is a practical learning resource for students, practitioners and researchers in public health, health care and related disciplines, providing both a course book and a useful introductory reference.

Bol Partner

Quantitative Research Methods for Health Professionals: A Practical Interactive Course is a superb introduction to epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology for the whole health care community. Quantitative Methods for Health Research is a practical, interactive course in epidemiology and statistics, designed to achieve a level of knowledge and skills appropriate to a masters in health sciences, public health or related fields. It is based on around ten years of experience with postgraduate teaching on the MPH programme at the University of Liverpool, UK. The book is practical because much of the learning is built around published examples of research or health–related data, covering a wide range of contemporary topics and settings in the UK, Europe and other countries.The learning in the book is complemented by an optional programme of data management and analysis available on the [publisher s] website, using datasets developed for this purpose.∗ The book is interactive because it places the reader/student at the centre of the learning by use of learning objectives, self–assessment exercises integrated into the text, and clear identification of all key concepts and terms. Together, these features allow ongoing assessment of comprehension and skills development by both student and tutor. The book acknowledges the varied educational and professional backgrounds of those contributing to contemporary public health and health care, by presenting epidemiology and statistics in an integrated way. Thus, specific statistical techniques are introduced at a point where their use in describing or comparing data can be appreciated. A similar, pragmatic approach is taken to explaining sufficient theory of statistical methods to facilitate understanding of the techniques covered, and to provide a solid basis for more advanced studies if desired. Finally, the book is structured to allow learning in two stages, one introductory and one advanced, with each of these stages being equivalent to one 15–credit module at postgraduate level.