Learning objectives

The course aims to introduce the student to the elementary principles of quantitative research in the biomedical field, providing knowledge and skills in the fields of biostatistics, epidemiology, and computer science applied to the analysis of biomedical data. The course will focus on the main study designs aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of drugs, both in an observational and in an experimental context.
Also through the use of the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, the student will learn to: evaluate the precision, accuracy and validity of a measuring instrument/diagnostic test; construct and interpret frequency tables and graphical representations of individual data relating to biological phenomena; conduct statistical tests for the comparison between two averages or proportions; estimate the effect of a treatment and interpret its confidence interval; estimate the relationship between two quantitative biological variables by correlation analysis and linear regression; assess and calculate the relative risk associated with a given exposure.

Learning assessment procedures

The verification of learning includes a written test in the computer lab (duration: 2 hours). The objective of the test is to verify the knowledge of the topics covered and the ability to solve a biomedical problem by analysing health data using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. At the end of the exam, the students will deliver the spreadsheet containing the results of the data analysis, as well as the answers to multiple-choice questions for verifying their knowledge.

Evaluation criteria

The written test is structured in questions that guide the analysis of a health dataset and questions related to understanding the theory. Each question is assigned a score. The final grade (expressed out of 30) is given by the sum of the scores obtained in the individual questions of the written test.