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Working With Epidemiologists for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program Development

• Betty Jung, RN, MPH, CHES, Epidemiologist 3, Cardiovascular & Diabetes Epidemiologist, Connecticut Department of Public HealthCT (moderator)
• Albert Tsai, PhD., MPH, Epidemiologist, Minnesota Department of Health

Objective/Supporting Skills and Knowledge

Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:

• Define basic epidemiology terms
• List the essential functions of a chronic disease program epidemiologist
• Describe selected epidemiological data sources useful for program planning
• Prepare a list of information needed by the epidemiologist prior to collecting and analyzing data

Summary

All too often, the epidemiologist is seen as solely a technical support person; in reality, the epidemiologist has a significant role to play in program planning. The states’ Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention programs need a scientific perspective and rationale as the basis for their plans and for evaluation of their programs’ effectiveness. Program coordinators need an understanding of both the role of the epidemiologist and basic epidemiology concepts so that they can work with their epidemiologists effectively. In turn, epidemiologists need to know what the larger Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention program goals are in order to help the coordinators carry out their program in support of those goals. This session will provide an overview of the ten essential functions of the epidemiologist and how they can be applied to program planning. In addition, the session will review the key questions that must be discussed by the program coordinator and the epidemiologist when doing program planning.

Resources

• Appendix. Operations Checklist http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5305a2.htm
• Ben-Shlomo, Y. and Kuh, D. A life course approach to chronic disease epidemiology: conceptual models, empirical challenges and interdisciplinary perspectives International Journal of Epidemiology 2002;31:285-293
  • International Epidemiological Association 2002
  • http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/31/2/285
• Chronic Disease Mortality http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/overview.htm
• Chronic Disease Overview http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/overview.htm
• Chronic Disease Surveillance in Canada http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/csc-ccs/pdf/hscchronic_disease_surveillance_background_paper_e.pdf
• Definitions of Chronic Disease
  • http://www.mainequalityforum.gov/mqsp03c.html
  • http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/datawh/nchsdefs/healthcondition.htm#chronic
  • http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/BurdenBook/DeathCause.asp?BookID=2&state=ct
• Definition of Epidemiology http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/collections/epidem/epid.1.shtml
• Definition of Public Health Surveillance: www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/epi_gloss2.htm
• Essential Functions of Chronic Disease Epidemiology http://www.cste.org/pdffiles/New%20Features/Essential%20Functions%20White%20Paper%20Edited%20Final%20092204.pdf
• Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts http://www.statehealthfacts.org/cgi-bin/healthfacts.cgi
• Life Course Model for Chronic Disease
  • http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/31/2/285
  • http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/
    annurev.publhealth.26.021304.144505?cookieSet=1
• National Assessment of Epidemiologic Capacity in Chronic Disease: Findings and Recommendations http://www.cste.org/pdffiles/New%20Features/CSTEChronicReportFINAL.pdf
• The Art and Science of Evidence-Based Decision-Making… Epidemiology Can Help! http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/csc-ccs/pdf/epidemiology_e.pdf
• U.S. Health Report http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm

Session Materials

• Presentations
  
  
  • Working with Epidemiologists for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program Development (pdf)
  • Life Course Model for Chronic Disease (pdf)
    
    
• Handouts
  
  
  • Continuum of Prevention for Individuals at Risk for a CVD Event (pdf)
  • Appendix of Resources and References (pdf)
  • Epidemiologist Functions and Public Health Essential Services (pdf)