BIOS6080

Health Indicators and Health Surveys

Faculty of Health and Medicine School of Medicine and Public Health

10 Units 6000 Level Course

Available in 2014

Distance Education - Callaghan	Semester 1

Previously offered in 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004

Students are introduced to a variety of sources of routinely collected health-related data and how these data are used to derive population measures of fertility, mortality and morbidity, and to measure health service utilisation, disease registration and reporting. This course is offered in conjunction with the Biostatistics Collaboration of Australia (BCA).

Objectives

At the completion of this course students should be able to:
1. derive and compare population measures of mortality, illness, fertility and survival, using basic demographic tools such as life tables and age standardisation
2. access the main sources of routinely collected health data and choose the appropriate one, taking into account their advantages and disadvantages
3. design a valid and reliable health survey to collect primary data, design an efficient sampling strategy to obtain a random sample of the target population, and choose the most appropriate mode of delivery
4. analyse, interpret and present the results of survey data, taking the sampling strategy into account.

Content

Students learn to use quantitative demographic methods of direct and indirect age standardisation, and calculation of life expectancy by life table techniques to obtain valid comparisons between different population groups, and to examine health differentials.

Replacing Course(s)

N/A

Transition

N/A

Industrial Experience

Assumed Knowledge

Mathematical Background for Biostatistics (BIOS6040)*
*Co-requisite may be taken concurrently.

Modes of Delivery

Distance Learning : Paper Based

Teaching Methods

Self Directed Learning

Assessment Items

Essays / Written Assignments	Assignments 100% (4 written assignments, 2 worth 25% each, 1 worth 20% and 1 worth 30%)

Contact Hours

Self Directed Learning: for 6 hour(s) per Week for Full Term

Compulsory Components

Requisite by Enrolment	This course is only available to students enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Medical Statistics or Master of Medical Statistics programs.

Timetables