Research Interest Area: Clinical and Health Services Epidemiology

monitoring in ICU with patients

Clinical and health services epidemiology aims to improve health outcomes by quantifying safety and effectiveness of clinical, preventive, and healthcare interventions.

Overview

Real-world evidence, Learning Health Systems, pragmatic trials, patient-centered outcomes research, and medical product safety and effectiveness are contemporary topics for which clinical and health services epidemiologists have much to offer.

Students with the following interests and are encouraged to explore this research interest areas area, regardless of degree program:

  • pharmacoepidemiology
  • comparative effectiveness research
  • health services epidemiology, hospital epidemiology
  • clinical investigation, clinical epidemiology
  • a variety of health conditions and patient populations such as infectious diseases, chronic diseases, injuries, older adults, maternal and child health

Faculty

Faculty members primarily working in this area

Ryan CarnahanPharmacoepidemiology, aging, psychiatry, dementia and delirium, long-term care, stakeholder engagement
Mary CharltonCancer surveillance and epidemiology, access to care, rural health disparities
Elizabeth ChrischillesPharmacoepidemiology, comparative effectiveness research, pragmatic trials, cancer outcomes research
Sarah Nash Cancer surveillance, epidemiology, and prevention; Health services research with a specific focus on cancer screening; Community-engaged research methods
Nichole NideyMaternal Child Health, substance use during the timing of pregnancy and postpartum, patient and community engaged research
Michael O’RorkeMolecular epidemiology, biomarkers of treatment response and prognostication, clinical epidemiology, cancer epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology
James TornerClinical trial methods, neuroepidemiology, musculoskeletal disorders

Collaborating faculty

Catherine BradleyUrogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery, patient-reported outcomes, psychiatric correlates of urinary incontinence
Lauris KaldjeanBioethics, end of life decision-making, goals of care, philosophy and religious beliefs in clinical decision-making
Korey KenneltyTransitions of care, chronic care management, team-based care
Enrique LeiraAcute stroke management, evidence-based strategies to improve stroke management in rural areas, novel strategies to enable rural patients to participate in stroke trials
Barcey LevyFamily medicine, preventive health care, colon cancer screening, practice-based research networks
Brian LundPharmacoepidemiology and drug safety, mental health, older adults
Nicholas MohrEmergency medicine, rural telehealth, predictors and outcomes of interhospital transfer time
Eli PerencevichInfectious diseases, health services epidemiology, cost-effectiveness of infection control interventions
Philip PolgreenComputational epidemiology, sensors and personal devices for monitoring disease activity and health behaviors
Mary SchroederEconomics of health and healthcare in cancer and cardiovascular disease
Carolyn TurveyPsychiatric epidemiology, access to care, patient portals, telemedicine
Priyanka VakkalankaSuicide and substance use disorders
Whitney ZahndRural health, cancer disparities, access to care, social determinants of health, social epidemiology, geographic information systems/spatial statistics

Emeritus faculty

Jennifer RobinsonClinical trials of atherosclerosis modifying agents, cardiovascular disease epidemiology, clinical practice guidelines
Robert WallaceClinical epidemiology, aging, multi-morbidity, disabling illness, clinical trials
Richard HoffmanGeneral internal medicine, cancer prevention and control, patient decision-making, comparative effectiveness

Curriculum

Featured Courses

  • EPID:5500 Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology
  • EPID:6910 Pharmacoepidemiology
  • EPID:6920 Applied Administrative Data Analysis
  • EPID:5214 Meta-analysis of Epidemiologic Studies
  • EPID:6900 Intervention and Clinical Trials
  • EPID:6950 Clinical Research Ethics – for students pursuing the MS in Clinical Investigation

Learning Objectives

Students interested in clinical and health services epidemiology are preparing for a career in which they will:

  • Evaluate need, use, performance and outcomes of health and healthcare products, procedures, interventions, services and programs
  • Advance methods for quantifying health effects of products, interventions, services and programs
  • Contribute to optimizing health of patients
  • Inform clinical and healthcare practice and policy
  • Collaborate and lead multidisciplinary teams to design and conduct observational and interventional research
  • Be competent in a family of related research fields including: outcomes research, health services research, clinical epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, and clinical effectiveness research

Recommended Plan of Study for the Clinical and Health Services Research Interest Area PhD Elective Requirement

course #course names.h. semester(s) offered*
Students interested in clinical and health services epidemiology will take the following four courses:  
EPID:5500Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology3 s.h.Fall
EPID: 6910Pharmacoepidemiology and Comparative Effectiveness Research3 s.h.Fall even years
EPID:6920Applied Administrative Data Analysis2 s.h.Fall, odd years
HMP:4000Introduction to US Healthcare System3 s.h.Spring, Summer (online, additional tuition assessed for CPH online courses)
In addition, students will complete at least 14 s.h. from the following highly recommended courses. Students should select courses in consultation with their advisor to reflect their research interest area (e.g. pharmacoepi, comparative effectiveness, clinical trials, health services research, or outcomes research).
EPID:5214Meta-analysis of Epidemiologic Studies3 s.h.Spring odd years
EPID:5560Biomarkers in Epidemiology3 s.h.Spring odd years
EPID:6071Social Epidemiology3 s.h.Fall
EPID:6900Design of Intervention and Clinical Trials3 s.h.Fall
BIOS:5130Applied Categorical Data Analysis3 s.h.Fall (elective for Certificate in Biostatistics)
BIOS:6210Applied Survival Analysis3 s.h.Spring (elective for Certificate in Biostatistics)
EPID:6420Survey Design and Analysis3 s.h.Spring even years (elective for Certificate in Biostatistics)
EPID:6510Injury Epidemiology3 s.h.Spring even years
EPID:6550Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases3 s.h. Fall
course #course names.h. semester(s) offered*
In addition to the recommended courses listed above, students may wish to select from the following additional courses based on research interest.
BIOS:5310Research Data Management3 s.h.Last taught, Fall 2022
BIOS:6310Introductory Longitudinal Data Analysis3 s.h.Fall (elective for Certificate in Biostatistics)
BIOS:6610Statistical Methods in Clinical Trials3 s.h.Spring
CBH:6205Designing and Implementing Interventions3 s.h.Fall
EPLS:5165Introduction to Program and Project Evaluation3 s.h.Spring
GEOG:4150Health and Environment: GIS Applications3 s.h.Fall
HMP:7550Cost Effectiveness and Decision Analysis3 s.h.Fall even years
HMP:7940Primary Data and Mixed Methods3 s.h.Spring
HMP:7960Analytical Issues in Health Services Research I3 s.h.Fall even years
HMP:7965Analytical Issues in Health Services Research II3 s.h.Spring odd years
PCOL:4130Drug Mechanisms and Actions3 s.h.Spring
PCOL:5136Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics1 s.h.Spring
*Semester(s) offered subject to change due to enrollment, instructor availability, etc. Students should always check the course schedule at MyUI.uiowa.edu for the most up to date version of the course schedule.

Master’s in Clinical Investigation

Certificate in Translational and Clinical Investigation