Course Topics
This is a planning document, where I map out the topics for the course. This is a work in progress, so subject to change. And feedback is
appreciated from anyone interested.
Health Data Reporting
Health data reporting is the question of how health information gets collected and centralized. For this course, the key question is how do
countries track the number of cases of Covid.
- Health Information Systems
- Structure of health information systems. How are health information systems structured inside of a country. What are the different maturity
levels for health information systems.
- Global Goods software.
- DHIS2 from University of Oslo. DHIS2 is the standard system used by developing countries for health information systems, and is equated with
health data reporting.
- History of DHIS2
- Structure of DHIS2 software
- DHIS2 for Covid
- Other global goods software for Covid Reporting: Comcare has a module, and there are probably some general ODK tools.
- Covid reporting
- How is Covid reported. What makes a case? Relationship to testing. Who reports.
- Covid reporting in developed countries. The pathway that data takes to get to JHU or NYT websites.
- Covid reporting in developing countries. Where do the number of cases come from in India, Uganda, Ecuador, Tanzania?
- Reporting of hospitalizations and deaths.
- Estimating impact of Covid beyond the reported numbers
- Comparing Covid reporting with other infectious diseases: Polio, TB, HIV, Measles, Ebola, Influenza.
Epidemiological modeling
Epidemiological modeling is the process of predicting the spread of diseases based upon abstract models. What is the role of modeling with respect
to Covid? A skeptic could argue that the available data is so poor, science is uncertain, and situation is changing so fast that modeling is not
relevant.
- Basic epidemiological modeling
- SIR Models
- Discrete modelling
- Continuous modelling
- Model refinement
- Applications to Covid
- Model Applications
- Assessment of disease spread
- Assessment of interventions