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This book presents a system of critical appraisal applicable to clinical, epidemiological and public health studies and to many other fields. It assumes no prior knowledge. The methods are relevant to students, practitioners and policymakers. The book shows how to assess if the results of one study or of many studies show a causal effect. The book discusses study designs: randomised and non-randomised trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and surveys, showing the presentation of results including person-time and survival analysis, and issues in the selection of subjects. The system shows how to describe a study, how to detect and assess selection biases, observation bias, confounding, and chance variation, and how to assess internal validity and external validity (generalisability). Statistical methods are presented assuming no previous knowledge, and showing applications to each study design. Positive features of causation including strength, dose-response, and consistency are discussed. The book shows how to do systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and discusses publication bias. Systems of assessing all evidence are shown, leading to a general method of critical appraisal based on 20 key questions in five groups, which can be applied to any type of study or any topic. Six chapters show the application of this method to randomised trials, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, and case-control studies. An appendix summarises key statistical methods, each with a worked example. Each main chapter has self-test questions, with answers provided.Less

Essentials of Environmental Epidemiology for Health Protection guides front-line public health practitioners through the decisions they are likely to face when dealing with environmental health problems, and shows how to integrate relevant aspects of environmental science, communication sciences, toxicology, and environmental epidemiology skills to conduct initial investigations.Less

Infectious disease epidemiology is the application of methods and approaches used to understand the distribution and determinants of health and disease to the study of infections. This handbook provides a comprehensive and succinct overview of the subject and covers related specialist areas needed to understand the epidemiology of infections. The book is divided into two parts. The first section introduces basic concepts in infectious disease epidemiology; how to design studies and investigate outbreaks, statistical analysis, and more specialist subjects such as economic analysis, mathematical modelling, and spatial, molecular, and immuno-epidemiology. The second half of the book describes the epidemiology of infectious diseases of global significance, either due to their current burden or their potential for causing morbidity and mortality. The handbook is organized in such a way that a reader can sequentially read chapters or dip in to revise particular concepts.Less

This online resource provides a concise review of preventive medicine and public health topics that are relevant to any practitioner in preventive medicine, occupational medicine, internal medicine, or aerospace medicine needing a comprehensive review of the topics in preventive medicine and public health. It will also serve as an ideal review before preventive medicine board examinations for candidates taking them for the first time and those taking them for recertification.Less

The Oxford Textbook of Community Mental Health is the most comprehensive and authoritative review published in this field.

The Oxford Textbook of Infectious Disease Control discusses the issues of geographical spread of human communicable diseases. Split into six chapters it tackles surveillance, quarantine, vaccination, and forecasting for disease control. A wide selection of representative maps and diagrams are used to illustrate the ideas explored. Less

The Tropical Medicine Notebook provides a concise overview of the key topics in tropical medicine using short notes, diagrams, maps, and tables. The book is divided into eight sections. The first five cover infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and helminths. The following three present the topics of vector biology, disease syndromes, and envenomation. A final section listing relevant guidelines, publications, and other resources guides the reader to more detailed information when required.Less