Clinical Epidemiology: The Study of the Outcome of Illness / Edition 3

by Noel S. Weiss

Overview

Examining the principles and methods of research on the evaluation of factors affecting the outcome of illness, this book emphasizes diagnostic and therapeutic interventions—the factors most readily modified by health care providers. The author discusses various ways of structuring observations on patient groups, and appraises the nature and strength of inferences drawn from those observations. He also demonstrates how the results of this type of research—clinical epidemiologic research—can be incorporated into the decision-making process utilized in clinical medicine.

This book contains a concise account of topics such as the assessment of the use of diagnostics and screening tests and their role in improving the outcome of illness, the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy through experimental and nonexperimental studies, and a particularly useful chapter on assessment of therapeutic safety. It is an essential reference and guide to the quantitative assessment of the consequences of illness for clinicians in training or in practice.The new edition of Clinical Epidemiology greatly expands the chapter on randomized control trials, and includes a whole new chapter on meta-analysis, authored by Peter Cummings. Meta-analysis, the statistical synthesis of data from comparable studies, was unheard of 30 years ago, but with the advent of increased computer technology, the method has been steadily growing in importance in the epidemiology community.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195305234
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	06/01/2006
Series:	Monographs in Epidemiology and Biostatistics , #36
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.44(w) x 9.28(h) x 0.77(d)

About the Author

Weiss, Noel S., MD, DrPH (Univ of Washington)

Table of Contents

1. Clinical Epidemiology: What Is It and How Is It Used? 2. Diagnostic and Screening Tests: Measuring Their Ability to Predict Adverse Outcomes of Illness3. Diagnostic and Screening Tests: Measuring Their Role in Improving the Outcome of Illness4. Therapeutic Efficacy: Randomized Controlled Trials5. Therapeutic Efficacy: Nonrandomized Studies6. Therapeutic Safety7. Natural History of Illness8. Summarizing Evidence: Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis(by Peter Cummings and Noel S. Weiss)

Editorial Reviews

3 Stars from Doody

This is the second edition of an introduction to methods used in clinical epidemiology. The text emphasizes problems related to different study designs encountered by health professionals when designing studies and interpreting results. In this new edition, the text was slightly modified and some new references and examples were added. Clinical epidemiology is defined as the study of the consequences of illness. This book focuses on the evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, stressing the concept that healthcare resources are finite and that selection of appropriate procedures should be based on evidence derived from well-designed studies. The author targets persons who conduct or interpret research related to the impact of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. To appreciate the application of epidemiology principles to problems in clinical medicine, the reader should be familiar with basic concepts in epidemiology and biostatistics. The appearance and print are pleasant, but I would prefer more illustrations. The index is short and misses some important concepts, e.g., meta-analysis. The appendix, which explains such methodologic concepts as sample size estimation and controlling for confounding, will be helpful to novice readers, who would also benefit from references to some textbooks on clinical epidemiology and clinical trials. I recommend this book highly to health professionals who want to gain a better understanding of research leading to clinical decision making. The thoughtful discussion of diagnostic and screening tests, illustrating the important biases related to testing, will assist healthcare providers to understand these important issues. The chapteron clinical trials deserves a more detailed discussion of meta-analysis. The instructive examples could be expanded by including some of the new outcome research using administrative data, such as Medicare data.

Gertraud Maskarinec

Reviewer: Gertraud Maskarinec, MD, PhD (Cancer Research Center of Hawaii)
Description: This is the second edition of an introduction to methods used in clinical epidemiology. The text emphasizes problems related to different study designs encountered by health professionals when designing studies and interpreting results. In this new edition, the text was slightly modified and some new references and examples were added.
Purpose: Clinical epidemiology is defined as the study of the consequences of illness. This book focuses on the evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, stressing the concept that healthcare resources are finite and that selection of appropriate procedures should be based on evidence derived from well-designed studies.
Audience: The author targets persons who conduct or interpret research related to the impact of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. To appreciate the application of epidemiology principles to problems in clinical medicine, the reader should be familiar with basic concepts in epidemiology and biostatistics.
Features: The appearance and print are pleasant, but I would prefer more illustrations. The index is short and misses some important concepts, e.g., meta-analysis. The appendix, which explains such methodologic concepts as sample size estimation and controlling for confounding, will be helpful to novice readers, who would also benefit from references to some textbooks on clinical epidemiology and clinical trials.
Assessment: I recommend this book highly to health professionals who want to gain a better understanding of research leading to clinical decision making. The thoughtful discussion of diagnostic and screening tests, illustrating the important biases related to testing, will assist healthcare providers to understand these important issues. The chapter on clinical trials deserves a more detailed discussion of meta-analysis. The instructive examples could be expanded by including some of the new outcome research using administrative data, such as Medicare data.

Doody's Review Service

From reviews of the First Edition:

"Although this book is short, it is rich in substance. Weiss describes basic epidemiologic applications of clinical decision making in clear, concise language, with many references to real patient situations and to published investigations....Clinicians in training or in practice would find this book helpful as a reference and guide to the quantitative assessment of the consequences of illness."—The New England Journal of Medicine

"A worthwhile addition to the departmental library of any unit where clinical research is carried out or contemplated."—Annals of Internal Medicine

"The material was originally designed as a public health course in clinical epidemiology. As such the book is extremely useful."—International Journal of Epidemiology

"A concise account of topics such as the assessment of the use of diagnostics and screening tests and their role in improving the outcome of illness, the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy through experimental and nonexperimental studies, and a particularly useful chapter on assessment of therapeutic safety....A real strength of the book comes at the end of each chapter where a few well-chosen questions derived from published studies of a wide range of clinical topics, accompanied by simple unambiguous answers, have been placed to 'encourage the active participation' of the reader."—Lancet

"Well-researched and contains much information useful to the beginning clinical epidemiologist....Clinically oriented and reflects a refreshingly practical bent, as well as humane concern for the subjects of our research efforts....This book is to be recommended. It would be a useful addition to the libraries of medical schools, and the personal libraries of those persons who participate in clinical research."—The Epidemiology Monitor

"A joy to read...A pragmatic and real-world guide for those who wish to make the best decisions for their patients and for those planning studies to answer clinical questions."—Journal of General Internal Medicine

From the Publisher