Compare and contrast analytical, descriptive and experimental epidemiology.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A goal shared by all three is determining the source of disease.

Descriptive epidemiology is often the first step, and is primarily records of observations. The observations may be highly detailed. Infection control clinicians and public health officials observe and record cases of disease with similar features. They will also record other observations, such as similar environments visited or materials ingested by all patients. John Snow's investigation of the London cholera outbreak is an example. Early reports of Ebola in West Africa in 2014 is another.

Experimental epidemiology tests hypotheses about the relationship between microbes and disease. Koch's identification of Bacillus anthracis as the cause of anthrax in animals is an example. Clinical testing of medications or vaccines are other examples.

Analytical epidemiology is analysis of data produced by either descriptive epidemiology or experimental epidemiology. This type of analysis is sometimes used in situations in which the application is not possible or ethical.

Analytical and experimental epidemiology are often interconnected: a hypothesis developed with analytical epidemiology may then be tested using experimental epidemiologic methods.