Principles of Pharmacoepidemiology

Course Aim
This course will provide participants with a succinct introduction to the basic principles, concepts, and study designs of pharmacoepidemiology. The course includes lectures on (1) cohort studies, (2) case-control studies, as well as (3) confounding and other sources of bias.

Requisites Statement
Entry level.

Course Objectives
1. Appreciate the basic features of the cohort design and its application in pharmacoepidemiology.
2. Appreciate the basic features of the case-control design and its application in pharmacoepidemiology.
3. Recognize the basic types of bias (confounding, selection bias, measurement bias) in pharmacoepidemiological studies. Understand how these biases are introduced and how they can be avoided by design or controlled during analysis.

Syllabus Outline
1. Cohort studies (Almut Winterstein).
Students will be introduced to the basic features of the cohort study design and will appreciate how the design is implemented in pharmacoepidemiological studies.
2. Case-control studies (Anton Pottegard).
Students will be introduced to the basic features of the case-control study design and will appreciate how the design is implemented in pharmacoepidemiological studies.
3. Bias and confounding (Tobias Gerhard).
Students will be introduced to the three basic types of bias in pharmacoepidemiological studies (confounding, selection bias, and measurement bias). Students will appreciate how these biases are introduced and how they can be avoided by design or controlled during analysis.