Epidemiology, 6th Edition, a national-level "" planning material for general higher education

Author: Wang Jianhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Epidemiology is a concept, a belief in collaboratively promoting public health. It holds a unique position in medicine, not only as a leading discipline of preventive medicine but also as a population science with balanced and leverage effects in three fields: medical education, medical research, and medical services. A widespread understanding and acceptance of epidemiology and its methodologies are not only one of the hopes for reuniting medicine and public health but also the most feasible and useful approach currently (Kerr L. White). To adapt to the broader context of social development and keep pace with the times, under the guidance of the Ministry of Health's Textbook Office, we further comprehended the fundamental requirements of "Three Basics" and "Five Qualities," established a premium awareness, and strived to integrate the ideas of basic medicine, clinical medicine, and preventive medicine throughout the book. For classical epidemiological methods, we paid attention to incorporating new and mature advancements. Based on feedback from experts and peers, we decisively removed the chapters on "Molecular Epidemiology" and "Management Epidemiology." We also made each of the closely related clinical research topics—such as "Clinical Efficacy and Disease Prognosis Studies," "Screening and Diagnostic Tests," "Evidence-Based Medicine and Meta-Analysis," and "Adverse Drug Reactions"—into separate chapters. Meanwhile, due to the sudden outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in 2003, its catastrophic impact on humanity, and the issues exposed during the response—especially the lack of prevention awareness among healthcare workers—we recognized that no complacency should be allowed in preventing infectious diseases. Therefore, we included the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases," the "Implementation Measures for the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases," and the "Regulations on Public Health Emergencies" as appendices at the end of the book to facilitate the popularization of relevant legal knowledge.