Postgraduate

MSc and Postgraduate Diploma in Infectious Diseases

Unit Outlines

ID101 Principles of public health, biostatistics and epidemiology [952I101]
The module will provide a solid introduction to epidemiology, statistics and public health upon which further units will build. The public health introduction will present models for understanding public health, the various actors and disciplines involved, and the range of measures available. The module will cover the epidemiological measures of disease frequency and risk, study design, interpretation of epidemiological studies, and preventive strategies, public health impact, and screening. The statistics teaching will cover the role of statistical methods in public health, describing data using various methods, sampling, linear regression and correlations coefficients, and statistical analyses.

ID102 Principles of biology [952I102]
This module aims to introduce students to the fundamental biological principles which are necessary for the Diploma and MSc. Areas covered will include: principles of the scientific approach; molecular biology and biochemistry; cell biology; immunology and vaccinology; microbiology; and biological vectors.

ID103 Biology of infectious diseases [952I103]
This module will introduce students to the way pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, helminths) invade, establish, cause disease and evade the immune response in the vertebrate host. In addition (i) vector-pathogen interactions and the role of vector behaviour and life style on the transmission of pathogens, and (ii) biochemical adaptations and strategies by pathogens to obtain nutrients in host and vector will be considered. Students will be shown how an understanding of these interactions can be exploited in control by vaccines, chemotherapy and insecticides.

ID104 Control of infectious diseases [952I104]
In this module, students will be exposed to a range of approaches to disease control from a multidisciplinary perspective. An overall model for understanding infectious disease from prevention through to cure will be presented. The roles and contributions of various disciplines will be discussed, and the economic, social science, and policy aspects of disease control will be explored as well as the epidemiological and statistical aspects. Case studies of infectious disease control, and examples of successes and failures will be used.

Group ID2

ID201 Bacterial infections [951I201]
This module will deal with the biology of bacteria as pathogens. It will focus on the major bacterial diseases and the other important types of bacterial infection such as wound infection, urinary tract infection and perinatal infection. The infections will be considered in groups related to the body systems infected.

ID202 Nutrition and infection [952I202]
This module will address the relationship between nutritional status and susceptibility to infection, together with consideration of the impacts of infection on nutritional status. The student will be helped to critically examine the evidence for the many popular beliefs surrounding these subjects.

ID203 Parasitology [952I203]
This module will deal with the biology of parasites and the ways that they can cause disease. The organisms responsible for the major parasitic diseases will provide the main focus for instruction as they have also been the main focus for research.

ID204 Viral infections [952I204]
This module undertakes a systematic overview of the important viruses causing infection in humans. The student will explore the molecular biology of the different types of virus, the different strategies that are involved in their replication and the ways in which they cause disease. Consideration is given to the prevention, treatment and control of virus infections. A command of the molecular biology and immunology dealt with in the ID core units is expected.

ID205 Hospital infection [951I205]
By the end of this module students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the:

· essential theory and practice of nosocomial infections
· microbiological diagnosis and control of these infections
· role of health care professionals in the surveillance and management of hospital infections

The module is intended for students who wish to understand the principles and concepts of clinical and microbiology related to the prevention of these infections. The course covers the microbiological aspects and related management associated issues. This will be set in context of the hospital and considers the roles of medical treatment, nursing care and all other aspects of hospital services in the control of hospital acquired infections.

ID209 Food microbiology [951I209]
Food is seldom sterile and may be a source of infection. This module examines the role of standards in the protection of people from food poisoning. A knowledge of microbiology will enable students to deal more easily with this material. A general awareness of public health
implications of food borne infections in different contexts both national and international is helpful. By the end of this module students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

· the aetiology of food borne disease
· food production processes and the role of HACCP
· the role of microbiological standards, criteria and guidelines relevant to EU and UK legislation
· the role of various public health organizations in the surveillance and control of food borne disease.

This module covers the microbiological aspects of infections transmitted by food. This will be set in the context of food production practices, legislation and the role of public health and related agencies.

ID210 Water and sanitation [952I210]
This module is intended for students who wish to understand the principles of the social and public health aspects of sanitation and water supply. By the end of this study module students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the:

· importance of sanitation and water supply for diseases control
· various factors involved in the provision of sanitation and water
· role of water in the transmission and prevention of infections
· microbiological methods used during routine surveillance and monitoring

The course covers the microbiological social and public aspects of sanitation and water supply, the micro-organisms responsible for disease, their origins, mechanisms for elimination, and the epidemiology of waterborne and water washed disease.

ID212 Diagnostic methods [952I212]
Diagnosis is a key step in the control of infectious diseases. This module will cover the basic principles of diagnosis of major infectious diseases. Different approaches, from the traditional to the latest emerging techniques, will be covered. The issues governing which approaches should be used, including level of technology, prevalence of the disease, cost-effectiveness, and integration in a control programme, will be discussed.

ID213 Immunology of infection [952I213]
This module will provide an overview of modern molecular immunology methods and immunity to infection. Specific topics will include: innate immunity mechanisms, the lymphoid system, trafficking, phagocytes, antibody structure and function, antigen processing and presentation, T cell receptors and activation, cytokines, cytoxicity, inflammation, tolerance, autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, immunogenetics, mucosal immunity, immune responses to infections, nutrition and immunity, and vaccines. The principles of modern immunological techniques will also be covered.

Group ID3

ID301 Epidemiology and control of infectious diseases in developing countries [952I301]
This module will focus on the practical ways in which the epidemiology of infectious disease can be investigated in a developing country context and the ways in which this knowledge can be applied to control disease.

Group ID4

ID401 Essentials of health economics and financing [952I401]
This module will introduce both the basic range of approaches to financing health care systems and the core principles of health economics. Under financing health systems and the history of health care financing, students will learn about general taxation, insurance, and out-of-pocket-payments at the point of consumption. The health economics component will include consumer theory and demand, production theory and cost, social efficiency and markets, and market failure. It will provide students with the skills to contribute more effectively to management processes.

ID402 Essentials of health systems and health promotion [952I402]
This module will cover the structure of health systems and the foundations of health promotion. It will provide an overview of what health systems are and how they function, and give an introduction to health promotion, its background, underpinning theories and use in interventions. Students will be able to combine their knowledge of epidemiology and policy making to better understand the dynamics of health systems as they confront managers.

ID403 Essentials of health management [952I403]
The module introduces students to key management concepts and their application in the practice of health services. It aims to develop skills in managing other people and encouraging productive behaviours. It will analyse the dynamics between different health care professionals and provide an understanding of the relationship between professionals and managers. It offers a foundation of how to structure and manage health care organisations, and of how to measure and influence the performance of an organisation. Students will learn how to identify priorities for change and how to manage change by designing and implementing a feasible change programme.

Group ID5

ID501 AIDS [952I501]
This module will explore the biology and pathology of HIV infection in order to understand how AIDS develops. AIDS is the most important infectious disease to emerge during an era in which the techniques for the investigation, treatment and control of infection were in place and, therefore, it is important to explore how the epidemic has been handled in the context of both biomedicine and society.

ID502 Tuberculosis [952I502]
This module will deal with the biology and pathology of tuberculosis, most particularly how modern techniques of molecular biology and immunology have been harnessed to combat an old plague. Tuberculosis remains the most common infectious cause of death world wide and so interventions suitable for both developed and developing countries will be considered and their limitations discussed.

ID503 Malaria [952I503]
This module will enable the student to understand the biology and pathology of malaria. Although the subject of numerous interventions and control programmes malaria remains the major parasitic cause of morbidity and mortality world-wide. The reasons for the failure of past attempts at control and the prospects for future success will be examined.

Group PH2: Public health

PH201 - Analytical models for decision-making [953P201]
This module will develop the students' understanding of the roles, strengths and weaknesses of different types of analytical model in supporting health care management decision-making.
The issues covered include: types and characteristics of models for management decision-making; complex decisions involving many criteria, uncertainty and risk; planning and budgeting for services to meet health care needs; hospital planning and costing models; and simulating flows through systems using deterministic, dynamic and stochastic models. It will require access to a computer and Excel spreadsheet software. The emphasis will be on practical decision making.

PH202 - Communicable disease control [953P202]
This module covers the three main themes of communicable disease control – surveillance, outbreak investigation and vaccines. Surveillance covers general principles as applied to infectious disease locally and nationally, as well as international surveillance. Both epidemiological and management aspects of outbreak investigation are explained. Vaccines cover general principles, evaluation and strategy. There are sessions on specific diseases and vaccines. This module will provide students with sufficient background to set up and run a communicable disease control programme in their country or region.

PH203 - Economic analysis for management and policy [953P203]
This advanced economics module seeks to strengthen students' familiarity with the conceptual bases for health economic analysis and develop their appreciation of how economic concepts and techniques can be applied to policy making and to the planning and management of health systems. It will cover the following topics: welfare economics and the foundations of economic evaluation; economic evaluation; demand analysis in health care; production and cost function analyses; market analysis and competition; regulation, contracting and agency; and equity in the health sector.

PH204 - Economic evaluation [953P204]
This module will allow students to understand and apply current methods in the economic evaluation of health interventions. Topics will include: measurement, valuation and analysis of costs; techniques for measuring and valuing health outcomes; the presentation of cost and effect data; and critical appraisal of economic evaluation in health care decision-making.

PH205 - Environmental epidemiology [953P205]
This module aims to give students an understanding of the main themes in environmental epidemiology, with particular emphasis on methods of investigation, including those of time-series and spatial analysis.  It covers pollution of the air, water and land, of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and the investigation of disease clusters. Emphasis is given to critical interpretation of scientific evidence relating to potential environmental hazards to health.

PH206 - Environmental health policy [953P206]
The module aims to introduce students to a range of key methodological tools for assessing and controlling environmental risks to health. These include: risk assessment as a structured method to estimate quantitative health impacts, especially for chemicals; health impact assessment, building on risk assessment as a planning and monitoring mechanism; environmental economics as a tool to help assess and compare heterogeneous health impacts and costs; and risk management as a framework for assessing and controlling risks. Consideration will be given to global and local issues and examples will be drawn from developing and developed countries.

PH207 - Health care evaluation [953P207]
This module will consider how the principles of scientific evaluation can be applied to the dimensions of effectiveness, efficiency, humanity and equity. The module will cover the quantitative (including both experimental and observational designs) and qualitative methods used in evaluation of these four dimensions. It will also consider the challenge of measuring key outcomes such as disease, health status and quality of life and address the issues involved in measuring costs.

PH208 - Financial management [953P208]
This module will provide an introduction to financial management and will ensure that students are confident in their handling of financial information. Topics will include the funding of health care, costing and pricing of health services including market analysis, budgeting and budgetary control, contracting processes, financial accounting, working capital management and financial analysis, financial systems and controls, management information systems, performance management, capital investment appraisal and project management. The emphasis will be on the practical needs of the manager.

PH209 - Globalisation and health [953P209]
This module addresses the implications for human health worldwide of global change across economic, social, political and environmental dimensions. It combines an introduction to core concepts and debates with detailed examination of issues including the globalization of food, pharmaceutical and tobacco industries, developments in global health governance, and the impact of climate change, population mobility and multilateral trade agreements. The unit will enable students to develop a detailed understanding of the complex links between globalization and health.

PH210 - Managing health services [953P210]
This module examines the concepts of management, managerial leadership and governance within health care systems. It provides a theoretical and practical understanding of the management processes and skills required to enable organisations or professionals to achieve their goals. The module first develops the conceptual framework for the analysis of health systems management following which key managerial tasks are examined including managing income and finances; managing people; managing strategy and change; managing results; and finally, managerial leadership.

PH211 - Medical anthropology in public health [953P211]
This module introduces concepts of social and medical anthropology, drawing attention to its application to public health. It introduces the history, theoretical frames and methods of social and cultural anthropology, and of the sub-discipline of medical anthropology. It then examines social and cultural perceptions of sickness, medical pluralism and health seeking behaviour, the anthropology of infectious diseases, of biomedicine and of medicines, and the relations between cultural constructions of the person, the body and sickness. Finally, it explores the potential of anthropology to study (and improve) public health interventions and medical research itself.

PH212 - Organisational management [953P212]
This module will expand on the core themes of organizational management and organizational behaviour, in particular in the health workplace. The module will use readings and case-studies on motivation, roles, interaction, leadership, power, influence, groups, culture, politics, design and change in organisations and the history of management theory.

PH213 - Principles and practice of health promotion [953P213]
This module builds on the 'Health promotion theory' core unit, and covers many different techniques available to people engaged in health promotion practice. These include individual approaches; group and community approaches and population and structural approaches. The module will consider topics such motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, peer education, public education, health promoting environments, advocacy, partnerships and multi-sectoral working and policy and legislation. It will explore the strengths and weaknesses of these various techniques and the contexts in which they might be used.

Group RD1

Research design, management and analysis [951RDM1]
This module is compulsory for those doing a project report and provides an introduction to health research for students without prior experience. It provides guidance on writing a research proposal, doing a literature review, how to manage projects and how to produce and disseminate results. It covers issues of management research and provides a range of useful techniques for conducting research and management projects effectively. Guidance will be given on basic data analysis, report-writing and presentation of results.

Critical evaluation of scientific papers and writing grant applications [951RD02]
This module will prepare the student to:

· formulate a grant proposal by defining a problem and formulating a hypothesis that can be investigated
· define study objectives and develop an appropriate study design together with a suitable budget

The student will learn to critically evaluate a scientific paper and to incorporate these insights in their writing.