Stage II: Basic Statistics and Epidemiology
Basic Statistics: Relevance of basic statistics in health and health care to medical professionals; numerical and non numerical methods of data presentation, prediction from sample data to populations, groups, tests of significance, confidence intervals, calculations and interpretation; sampling techniques
Basic Epidemiology: Relevance of basic epidemiology in health and health care, measures of disease frequency, their calculations and interpretation; distribution and determinants of disease; measures of effect; Epidemiological methods
Period in Community Stream training:
Basic Statistics Term 5 30 hours
Basic Epidemiology Term 6 30 hours
Teaching methods: lectures, self learning modules, group work, field visits, seminars, fixed learning modules (FiLMs)
Group assignment: visits to health care settings to study the health information system followed by student presentations in groups
Eligibility to appear for examinations: 80% attendance in SGDs is needed.
References: Term 5
1. Lankathilake KN, Seneviratne SR De A, Rajapakse LC, Fernando DN. Basic Statistics
a self-learning module. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,
Colombo; 2009. Volume-I. ISBN 955-9021-09-5.
2. Lankathilake KN, Seneviratne SR De A, Rajapakse LC, Fernando DN. Basic Statistics
a self-learning module. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,
Colombo; 2009. Volume-II. ISBN 955-9021-09-5.
3. Swinscow TDV, Statistics in Square One London; 1983.
4. Sprinthall RC. Basic Statistical Analysis. 4th ed: Allyn and Bacon.
5. Castle WM. Statistics in Small Doses. 2nd ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone;
1977.
6. Petrie A. Lecture Notes on Medical Statistics. Oxford: Blackwell; 1978.
7. Pipkin BF. Medical Statistics Made Easy. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 1984.
8. Lwanga SK, Cho – Yook Tye, editors. Teaching Health Statistics In:Twenty
Lessons and Seminar Outlines. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1986.
References: Term 6
1. Rajapakse LC, Seneviratne SR De A, Fernando DN. Epidemiology – A Handbook for
Medical Students. Arambepola C, Lankathilake KN, editors. Department of
Community Medicine. Faculty of Medicine, Colombo;2009.ISBN 978-955-9021-81-0.
2. Hennekens CH, Buring JE. Epidemiology in Medicine. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.,
1987.
3. Beaglehole R, Bonita R, Kjellstrom T. Basic Epidemiology. Geneva: World Health
Organization; 1993.
4. Hulley SB, Cummings SR. Designing clinical research: An Epidemiological Approach.
Baltimore: William & Wilkins, 1988.
5. Leon, Gordis. Epidemiology. 3rd ed.; 2004.
Examination: Community Stream Assessment, CSA 1, after completion of Stages 1 and II
CSA 1 written paper
In addition a group mark will be given to group of students based on the group reports submitted during Terms 2 & 3
