Understanding Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations and serves as the foundation and logic of interventions made in the interest of public health and preventive medicine. It is considered a cornerstone methodology of public health research and is highly regarded in evidence-based medicine for identifying risk factors for disease and determining optimal treatment approaches to clinical practice. In the study of communicable and non-communicable diseases, the work of epidemiologists ranges from outbreak investigation to study design, data collection, and analysis, including the development of statistical models to test hypotheses and the documentation of results for submission to peer-reviewed journals. Epidemiologists also study the interaction of diseases in a population, a condition known as a syndemic. Epidemiologists rely on a number of other scientific disciplines, such as biology (to better understand disease processes), Geographic Information Science (to store data and map disease patterns), and social science disciplines (to better understand proximate and distal risk factors).
Epidemiologists utilize the elements of surveillance, sound science, and practical common sense to direct action for the purpose of promoting and protecting the public’s health. Unlike clinicians who care for the health of the individual, epidemiologists focus on the health of the community. These “disease detectives” collect data to answer the “who?”, “What?”, “When?” and “Where?” of disease in the human population, and analyses are conducted to answer the “why?” and “how?” questions to prevent future disease.
All documents are in PDF format unless otherwise noted.
Downloads
- Communicable Disease Reporting Form
- Reportable Disease in Arkansas
- Selected Diseases 10-Year Summary (2019)
- Selected Diseases 10-Year Summary (2018)
Contact Information
Epidemiology
4815 W. Markham St., Slot 32
Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
Phone: 501-661-2893
Fax: 501-661-2428
[email protected]
