Module overview
To provide students with knowledge of the core concepts and skills required for communicable disease control.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Communicable disease epidemiology, with strategies for prevention and control leading to improvements in public health
- The principles of surveillance, the characteristics of different surveillance systems, their strengths and weaknesses and application to disease control.
- Epidemiological methods to investigate and manage outbreaks.
- The major methods for transmission of communicable disease.
- How genomics can be used to identify, track and help manage communicable disease.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Explain the balance between population and individual perspectives when practicing communicable disease control
- Examine ethical frameworks to inform practice of communicable disease control, particularly in respect to vulnerable populations.
- Evaluate policies and programmes used in the prevention and control of selected communicable diseases of public health importance
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Effectively communicate epidemiological concepts including risk in a variety of ways to different audiences
- Critically discuss and evaluate information
- Manage your own learning and work effectively to deadlines.
Syllabus
- Basic concepts in infectious disease epidemiology.
- Natural history, clinical presentation, methods of diagnosis and control of infections of national and international public health importance, including emerging diseases and untoward release of infectious agents.
- Use of surveillance systems nationally and internationally to monitor infectious disease activity.
- The design, evaluation, and management of immunisation programmes.
- The steps in outbreak investigation including the use of relevant epidemiological methods and organisation of infection control.
- Basic concepts of infectious disease genomics for communicable disease control.
- International aspects of communicable disease control including International Health Regulations.
- Ethical aspects of communicable disease control.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
A variety of methods will be used including lectures, problem-based learning sessions, group work, practical exercises, guided reading, group study and individual study. Some of the lectures and participatory sessions may be facilitated by clinicians and scientists from the University of Southampton, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and University Hospital Southampton as well as external centres such as the UK Health Security Agency. Delivery will be face-to-face. In the event this is not possible delivery will be through MS Teams and BlackBoard collaborate.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 128 |
| Teaching | 22 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
Learning Resources. Up to date resources covering domestic and international aspects, where appropriate, will be provided for individual sessions on Blackboard. Students are not expected to read all texts
Internet Resources
Textbooks
Hawker J, Begg N, Blair I, Reintjes R, Weinberg J, Ekdahl K (2012). Communicable disease control and health protection handbook. John Wiley and Sons.
Noah N. (2006). Controlling communicable disease. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
The assessment for the module provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes. In addition to the summative assessments, during the course of the module there will be opportunities to obtain feedback in the form of unassessed, formative activities.
The pass mark for this module is 50%; if you have failed the module, the Board of Examiners may offer you the opportunity to submit work at the next referral (re-sit) opportunity. You will only be required to refer components where you have not achieved the pass mark, and marks for components which were passed will be carried forward. The final module mark will be capped at 50%.
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Multiple choice Test
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Through online platform.
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 50% |
| Written assignment | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 50% |
| Written assignment | 50% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External