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What
are the case studies?
The case studies in
applied epidemiology have been developed at CDC and used in training
activities since 1951. They are the cornerstone of the initial training
for Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officers, CDC’s “disease
detectives”. The case studies allow students to practice their
epidemiologic skills in the classroom to carefully crafted exercises that
detail real public health problems. They
cover a wide variety of topical areas (e.g., infectious diseases, chronic
illnesses, occupational and environmental health) and epidemiologic
principles (e.g., outbreak investigation, surveillance, study design, data
interpretation, descriptive and analytic methods).
How
are the case studies used?
The
case studies are used as a vital component of an applied epidemiology
curriculum, rather than stand-alone tools.
They are ideally suited to reinforcing principles and skills
already covered in a lecture or background reading.
In
the EIS course,
one or two instructors facilitate the case study for 8 to 20 students in a
classroom or conference room. Students
read the text of the case study up to the first question.
Then all students perform calculations, construct graphs, or engage
in a discussion of the answer. Sometimes,
different students are asked to play different roles in answering the
question. After the group has
discussed the answer satisfactorily, the students read on to the next
question, and so forth.
In
other courses, students have read the case study and answered the
questions as homework. Less classroom time is needed to review the
case study, but some answers are given away late in the case study and
elements of surprise are lost.
How
are the case studies viewed by students?
The
case studies are the highest rated part of any epidemiology course at CDC. They are ideally suited for adult learners because:
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They require active participation by the learner;
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They have a problem-solving orientation;
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They are job-relevant;
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They
use specific examples to teach concepts;
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They allow each student to contribute to the learning environment based on
his/her own experience;
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They allow students to learn from their peers as well as from the
instructors;
and
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They are fun.
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Case Studies | 
