Module overview
This module covers the health protection aspects of communicable disease, including the biology, clinical features and control of such cases.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Explain the principles of surveillance, the characteristics of different surveillance systems, their strengths and weaknesses and their application to disease control.
- Choose epidemiological methods to investigate and manage outbreaks.
- Discuss the major methods for transmission of communicable diseases.
- Apply knowledge of communicable disease epidemiology to strategies for prevention and control, leading to improvements in public health.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Critically discuss and evaluate information.
- Manage your own learning and work effectively to deadlines
- Effectively communicate epidemiological concepts including risk in a variety of ways to different audiences.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Explain the balance between population and individual perspectives when practising communicable disease control.
- Examine ethical frameworks to inform the practice of communicable disease control, particularly in respect to vulnerable populations.
- Evaluate policies and programmes used in the prevention and control of selected communicable diseases of public health importance.
Syllabus
• Basic concepts in infectious disease epidemiology.
• Natural history, clinical presentation, methods of diagnosis and control of infections of national and international public health importance including emerging diseases and untoward release of infectious agents.
• Use of surveillance systems nationally and internationally to monitor infectious disease activity.
• The design, evaluation, and management of immunisation programmes.
• The steps in outbreak investigation including the use of relevant epidemiological methods and organisation of infection control.
• Basic concepts of infectious disease genomics for communicable disease control.
• International aspects of communicable disease control including International Health Regulations.
• Ethical aspects of communicable disease control.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
A variety of methods will be used including lectures, problem-based learning sessions, group work, practical exercises, guided reading, group study and individual study. Some of the lectures and participatory sessions will be facilitated by clinicians and scientists from the University of Southampton, NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre and University Hospital Southampton as well as external centres such as the UK Health Security Agency. Delivery will be face-to-face. In the event this is not possible delivery will be through MS Teams or similar.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 120 |
| Teaching | 30 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Assessment
Assessment strategy
The formative assessment will be a short written assessment on content covered during the module at that point, to help you prepare for the summative assessment. The summative assessment will consist of three components. A written assessment, a poster presentation and a written reflection. The pass mark for the module and summative components is 50%. The written assessment and poster presentation must be passed to pass the module. If you do not achieve the pass mark on this module by achieving 50% in all components, you may still pass by compensation for the written reflection. To do this, you must achieve a qualifying mark of 40% in this component. The three component marks are then combined, using the appropriate weighting, to give an overall mark for the module. If this overall mark is greater than or equal to 50% you will have passed the module. If your overall mark is less than 50% when the weighting has been applied to all three components, you will have failed the module. If you have not achieved 40% or more in the written reflection, you cannot use compensation and have failed the module. If you have failed the module, you will have the opportunity to complete a referral assessment for the components where you have not achieved the pass mark. Marks for components that were passed will be carried forward. You must achieve the pass mark in the resubmitted components to pass the module and your final module mark will be capped at 50%.Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Written assignment
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Through Blackboard
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Individual written reflection | 10% |
| Poster Presentation | 20% |
| Written assignment | 70% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 70% |
| Individual written reflection | 10% |
| Poster Presentation | 20% |