Now in a sixth edition, this textbook is the seminal introduction to the field of epidemiology, or the study of disease in populations. It stands in the historical stream of Dr. Gordis, a leader of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins. Replete with diagrams, cartoons, case studies, and in-depth analysis, this work paints a comprehensive picture of the field in the 21st century.
In the first section, the authors provide an introduction to epidemiology as it relates to studying diseases and interventions. By itself, these six chapters might serve as a good introduction to the field in a course, but in this work, they are just a warm up for the main course.
The second section, consisting of ten chapters, provides a bevy of tools to conduct studies so that the cause of a disease is located. Topics include study design, randomization, risk, and analysis (especially how to identify causation instead of mere correlation). Contemporary issues and live topics – like genetics and environmental causes of disease – are also covered.
Finally, the third and final section discusses how to evaluate epidemiological studies and how to adapt it to social change. Epidemiology serves as a studious framework for public health interventions. As such, ethics, professionalism, public policy, health services, and health screenings all provide relevant topics for examination in this section.
As a reader, I feel a lot more confident reading epidemiological analyses after reading this book. The technical language of the field is not as intimidating, and interpreting graphs that summarize findings seems easier. It’s helpful to read Celentano and Szklo’s analysis along with trying to interpret the graphs on my own; this approach challenges me to gain intellectual independence.
This textbook will be most used in academic settings. It demystifies what goes on behind the scenes in biomedical studies. It is very suitable for graduate school classrooms and for professional specialists. It’s probably too advanced for undergraduate classrooms… although as previously noted, the first section could stand on its own as a short course. Overall, this is an excellent, comprehensive, erudite, and rigorous attempt to explain epidemiology to interested readers.
Gordis Epidemiology
By David D. Celentano and Moyses Szklo
Copyright (c) 2019
6th Edition
Elsevier
ISBN13 9780323552295
Page Count: 420
Genre: Healthcare, Science, Research/Education
www.amazon.com