EPID 301 Chapter Notes - Chapter 18: Confidence Interval, Temporality

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Community Health and Epidemiology
• Course: EPID 301
• Professor: Helene Ouellette-Kuntz

Document Summary

Findings of causality require valid epidemiological estimates- estimates that arise from properly conducted, well-designed studies. Causality provides a framework to guide the task of weighing. In critical appraisal, you start by assessing the validity of a study"s estimates of epidemiological effect before you consider any claims it makes about causality. Hierarchical relationship: valid estimates of exposure-disease association precede conclusions about exposure-disease causality (disease etiology) Non-differential bias: the association is stronger than the estimate suggests. Critical appraisals often find themselves taking issue with investigators" judgements about the casual implications of their findings- even findings based on valid estimates. Epidemiologists seek modifiable links in specific casual chains of events that ultimately lead to diseases and other adverse health outcomes. Epidemiological finding is its ability to make a difference in clinical practice or public health. Primary prevention: seeks to interrupt a destructive chain of casual events (focuses on links in chains of causality it can modify)