Lesson 1. Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology

Clinical Epidemiology takes the fundamental science of public health and applies it to the clinical setting. This allows physicians to use population-based data and research to support clinical care. As physicians, the most important consideration we have is the health and wellbeing of the patients we serve, i.e., health outcomes. For individuals, these include symptoms, as well as complications such as disability. These are what patients care most about, and we have an obligation to address their concerns. Acknowledging that we won’t always be successful at addressing all of them, but importantly using a patient centered approach to support them in their illness experience.