Public health and evidence based medicine

Question 1

Epidemiology?

Answer 1

Study of frequency, distribution + determinants of disease in a population

Question 2

Incidence?

Answer 2

No. of new cases of disease in a population//No. of persons with risk of developing the disease in the same population

Question 3

Prevalence?

Answer 3

No. of cases of disease present in a population//No. of persons with risk of having disease in the same population

Question 4

Negative predictive value?

Answer 4

Testing true negatives/ negatives

Proportion of those who test negative who actually do not have the disease

Question 5

Positive predictive value?

Answer 5

Testing true positives/ positives

Proportion of those who test positive who actually have the disease

Question 6

Sensitivity?

Answer 6

Proportion of those who have the disease who are correctly identified by a +ve test

Question 7

Specificity?

Answer 7

Proportion of those who do not have the disease who are correctly identified by a –ve test

Question 8

Yield?

Answer 8

No. of previously undiagnosed cases picked up by a screening programme

Question 9

Primary prevention?

Answer 9

Stopping a disease before it starts

Question 10

Secondary prevention?

Answer 10

Stopping a disease from getting worse