Clinical epidemiology
Clinical epidemiology is a subfield of epidemiology specifically focused on issues relevant to clinical medicine. The term was first introduced by John R. Paul in his presidential address to the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 1938.[1][2] It is sometimes referred to as "the basic science of clinical medicine".[3]
Definition
When he coined the term "clinical epidemiology" in 1938, John R. Paul defined it as "a marriage between quantitative concepts used by epidemiologists to study disease in populations and decision-making in the individual case which is the daily fare of clinical medicine".[4] According to Stephenson & Babiker (2000), "Clinical epidemiology can be defined as the investigation and control of the distribution and determinants of disease."[5] Walter O. Spitzer has highlighted the ways in which the field of clinical epidemiology is not clearly defined. However, he felt that, despite criticism of the term, it was a useful way to define a specific subfield of epidemiology.[6] In contrast, John M. Last felt that the term was an oxymoron, and that its increasing popularity in many different medical schools was a serious problem.[4]
See also
References
- Paul, John R. (1938-09-01). "PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY". The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 17 (5): 539–541. doi:10.1172/JCI100978. ISSN 0021-9738. PMC 434807. PMID 16694597.
- Sackett, David L. (December 2002). "Clinical epidemiology". Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 55 (12): 1161–1166. doi:10.1016/S0895-4356(02)00521-8.
- Dieckmann, K.-P.; Pichlmeier, U. (2004-04-01). "Clinical epidemiology of testicular germ cell tumors". World Journal of Urology. 22 (1): 2–14. doi:10.1007/s00345-004-0398-8. ISSN 1433-8726. PMID 15034740.
- Last, John M. (1988). "What Is "Clinical Epidemiology?"". Journal of Public Health Policy. 9 (2): 159–163. doi:10.2307/3343001. ISSN 0197-5897. JSTOR 3343001.
- Stephenson, J M; Babiker, A (1 August 2000). "Overview of study design in clinical epidemiology". Sexually Transmitted Infections. 76 (4): 244–247. doi:10.1136/sti.76.4.244. PMC 1744174. PMID 11026877.
- Spitzer, Walter O. (1986-01-01). "Clinical epidemiology". Journal of Chronic Diseases. 39 (6): 411–415. doi:10.1016/0021-9681(86)90107-4. ISSN 0021-9681.