Students
HLTH2110 – Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics for Health Sciences
2021 – Session 2, Weekday attendance, North Ryde
Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update
The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.
This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.
Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.
General Information
Download as PDF
| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit convenor
Michael Swain
Contact via 9850 4053
17WW349
By appointment
Lecturer
Huan Lin
Contact via 9850 9174
12WW6.09
By appointment
Lecturer
Balamehala Pasupathy
By appointment
Tutor
Virginia Mandelburger
By appointment
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to BChiroSc and CHIR1101 or CHIR113 or ANAT1001 or HLTH108 or BIOL1210 or BIOL108
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
An introductory unit on the principles of evidence based health practice. This unit covers a range of issues in research including: subjectivity and objectivity, different research strategies, evaluation and interpretation of data and ethical issues. Concepts of efficacy, effectiveness, clinical and statistical significance and critical appraisal of published work are introduced.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Explain the role of research and scientific enquiry in health sciences, explain the importance of evidence based health care
- ULO2: Compare relative merits of different levels of ‘evidence’
- ULO3: Critically appraise available information including published work related to health sciences
- ULO4: Explain ethics, confidentiality, conflict of interest and related issues in the context of research and clinical practice
- ULO5: Use spread sheets and a software such as Minitab for basic statistical analyses of data
- ULO6: Interpret basic epidemiological and statistical terms such as confidence intervals, effectiveness, efficacy, error, incidence, mean, median, mode, prevalence, probability, reproducibility, risk, sample size, sampling, standard deviation, sensitivity, significance, specificity and validity
General Assessment Information
1. Practical
The practical exercises will be marked each week. The final mark for the practical component will be calculated using marks from all practicals.
2. Assignment
Specific details of the Assignment will be provided in week 2 on the unit’s iLearn page. The assignment must be submitted by the due date.
Extension to the due date may be granted under extenuating circumstances. Application for extensions must be made under the Special Consideration Policy, applied for through ask.mq.edu.au within 5 days of the disruption and before the submission date of the assignment. Resubmission of assignments will not be considered under usual circumstances. Late submissions will receive a 5% per day penalty including weekends and public holidays. If you submit the assessment task 10 days or more beyond the due date, without an approved extension, you will be awarded a maximum of 50% of the overall assessment marks.
3. Examination
The University Examination period for the Second Half Year 2021 starts in November.
You are advised that it is Macquarie University policy not to set early examinations for individuals or groups of students. You are expected to ensure that you are available until the end of the teaching semester that is the final day of the official examination period.
The raw marks resulting from the assessment of your work will be used as an initial indicator of the quality of your learning and understanding. Note that the mark ranges mentioned for different grades in the Macquarie University Undergraduate Handbook are not the raw marks. To obtain a grade you must satisfy the qualitative definition of that grade. Once your grade has been determined, you are allocated a mark in the appropriate range indicating your approximate position amongst students assigned that grade.
You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The timetable will be available in draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and the final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of the examinations.
The only exception to not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances, you may wish to consider applying for Special Consideration. Information about the Special Consideration process is available at
https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration
Students with a pre-existing disability/health condition or prolonged adverse circumstances may be eligible for ongoing assistance and support. Such support is governed by other policies and may be sought and coordinated through Wellbeing and Support Services.
Supplementary examination: If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled in the Faculty’s supplementary exam period. By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during the supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments. Please ensure you are familiar with the policy before applying. Approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week before the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination. The supplementary exam may be in a different format to the original exam (e.g. oral examination) and you will be notified of this when you are granted a supplementary exam.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical work | 20% | No | Ongoing weeks 2-12 |
| Assignment | 20% | No | 10th of September |
| Final examination | 60% | No | Session 2 Exam Period |
Practical work
Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 8 hours
Due: Ongoing weeks 2-12
Weighting: 20%
Exercises based on Practical sessions. These will be short answer questions based on that week's practical content, to be completed in conjunction with practical tasks.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Explain the role of research and scientific enquiry in health sciences, explain the importance of evidence based health care
- Compare relative merits of different levels of ‘evidence’
- Critically appraise available information including published work related to health sciences
- Explain ethics, confidentiality, conflict of interest and related issues in the context of research and clinical practice
- Use spread sheets and a software such as Minitab for basic statistical analyses of data
- Interpret basic epidemiological and statistical terms such as confidence intervals, effectiveness, efficacy, error, incidence, mean, median, mode, prevalence, probability, reproducibility, risk, sample size, sampling, standard deviation, sensitivity, significance, specificity and validity
Assignment
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 8 hours
Due: 10th of September
Weighting: 20%
Assignment would include data analysis and interpretation as well as critical appraisal of published articles.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Explain the role of research and scientific enquiry in health sciences, explain the importance of evidence based health care
- Compare relative merits of different levels of ‘evidence’
- Critically appraise available information including published work related to health sciences
- Explain ethics, confidentiality, conflict of interest and related issues in the context of research and clinical practice
- Use spread sheets and a software such as Minitab for basic statistical analyses of data
- Interpret basic epidemiological and statistical terms such as confidence intervals, effectiveness, efficacy, error, incidence, mean, median, mode, prevalence, probability, reproducibility, risk, sample size, sampling, standard deviation, sensitivity, significance, specificity and validity
Final examination
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: Session 2 Exam Period
Weighting: 60%
This will be a 2 hour written examination with questions (MCQ, true/false, filling in the blank and short answers) related to all lecture and practical material.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Explain the role of research and scientific enquiry in health sciences, explain the importance of evidence based health care
- Compare relative merits of different levels of ‘evidence’
- Critically appraise available information including published work related to health sciences
- Explain ethics, confidentiality, conflict of interest and related issues in the context of research and clinical practice
- Interpret basic epidemiological and statistical terms such as confidence intervals, effectiveness, efficacy, error, incidence, mean, median, mode, prevalence, probability, reproducibility, risk, sample size, sampling, standard deviation, sensitivity, significance, specificity and validity
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Delivery mode
1. One 2-hour online lecture per week, weeks 1-8, 10-13.
2. Ten 2-hour practicals per student, starting from week 2-8, 10-12.
3. Four to five hours per week self-instructional learning, readings from the text and exercises on lecture topics
Class times and locations
Lecture times: 2-hours each week starting from week 1. Available online via the unit’s iLearn page
Practicals: 2-hours each week, starting from week 2. Practical classes will be in the 06EaR PC Labs, see the timetable for details https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2021/Reports/List.aspx.
You are advised to bring a USB memory stick for practical classes. Practical group allocations will be finalised in Week 1. Students must attend their allocated class. Participation in practical classes is recommended.
NB: This unit involves some / at least one essential on-campus learning activities/activity which will be delivered in accordance with a COVID Safe plan. You will be expected to attend relevant on-campus activities unless the Public Health Order and/or University advice changes.
Resources
Recommended texts
An introduction to medical statistics by Martin Bland (4th edition, 2015; earlier editions should be fine)
Statistics at square one / T.D.V. Swinscow and M.J. Campbell. 10th ed., London: BMJ Books, 2002 (In addition to library copy, this book is available online via http://www.bmj.com/thebmj)
Hoffmann et al. Evidence-Based Practice Across the Health Professions. 2 Edn. ISBN: 9780729541350, Elsevier Australia.
Minichiello et al. Research Methods for nursing and health science. 2 Edn; ISBN: 9781740095969; Pearson Education Australia.
Further reading
Straus, S.E et al. 2005. Evidence-Based Medicine; 4 Edn; Churchill Livingstone
Useful web-resources
http:/www.mq.edu.au/library (Macquarie University library site; list and links to many databases and Journals)
http://www.cochrane.org (Cochrane Collaboration, the most reliable source of evidence in health care)
http://www.pedro.org.au/ (Physiotherapy Evidence Database)
Unit web page
The URL of the HLTH2110 iLearn site is: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/
You will be asked for a username and password. Your username is your student MQID. Your MQID and password have been mailed to you by the University. If you have lost them go to the student portal: http://students.mq.edu.au/home/
Unit Schedule
List of topics by week
The topic titles are given as a guide only.
|
Week |
Date (Lecture) |
Lecture Topic |
Prac Class |
|
1 |
26-Jul |
Unit overview, Excel, Data, Summarising, and Graphing Categorical Data |
No |
|
2 |
2-Aug |
Summarising and Graphing Continuous data; populations and samples |
Yes |
|
3 |
9-Aug |
Confidence Intervals |
Yes |
|
4 |
16-Aug |
Clinical Epidemiology, EBP, what is evidence; where and how to find evidence (Hierarchy of evidence) |
Yes |
|
5 |
23-Aug |
Research Planning and Research Designs - I |
Yes |
|
6 |
30-Aug |
Research Designs - II |
Yes |
|
7 |
6-Sep |
Hypothesis Testing - one and two groups |
Yes |
|
Break |
13 Sep – |
|
|
|
8 |
27-Sep |
Hypothesis Testing - Regression |
Yes |
|
9 |
4-Oct |
Public Holiday |
No |
|
10 |
11-Oct |
Hypothesis Testing - Proportions |
Yes |
|
11 |
18-Oct |
Research in Clinical Practice (outcome measures) |
Yes |
|
12 |
25-Oct |
Ethics, Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality in Health Research |
Yes |
|
13 |
1-Nov |
Revision (if students request any specific topic) |
No |
Huan (Jaslene) Lin: Lectures for weeks 1-3, 7-10
Balamehala Pasupathy: Lectures for weeks 4-6, 11-12
Maria Benitez de Mandelburger: Tutorials for weeks 2-12
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Unit information based on version 2021.01R of the Handbook