[CPEO-MEF] Epidemiology for Dummies

[dickboyd@aol.com]

Jana commented on mortality and morbidity rates in the County.

Perhaps the Restoration Advisory Boards (RABs) would benefit from education 
regarding the epidemiology process. 

The presentation would cover:

A.  Coding the causes of death and diseases as cataloged by the International 
Classification of Diseases. How Doctors that sign death certificates receive 
standard training in recognizing signs of disease or cause of death. [How 
data is collected.] How diagnosticians catalog diseases.

B.  Collection of data from County or geographic area. Time sensitivity of 
reporting certain diseases and events. [What is done with the data first.]

C.  Presentation of the data by analysts, verification of the data, reports 
to health professionals. [What is done with the data next.]

D.  Time delay between exposure and symptoms. [Masking of true cause by other 
sources.]

E.  Long term studies. [Trends, funding decisions, education.]

F.  How the data is used by Army Corps of Engineers to decide how to spend 
scarce dollars.

G.  How realistically do studies on animals reflect the effect on people?

H.  How the data is used by other researchers. {Do by reference to web 
contacts.]

The epidemiology introduction could be provided by County Health Officers and 
staff, or by the Army Corps of Engineers liaison with the various Health 
Departments.

The idea is not to make analysts out of the RAB members, but to instill a 
degree of confidence that the existing system is working. RAB members would 
gain insight into the working of a fairly successful system. The dialog might 
open some lines of communication regarding more cooperation from the 
landowners. Examples of County Ordinances requiring tests on wells before 
certification and water approval process would also be useful. Some of the 
suspect chemicals are difficult or expensive to test. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~