Types of data and measures of disease

Abstract

Public health intelligence is the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of health and social care data. Public health professionals use data to describe and monitor health-related events in their areas (local, regional, and national). Analysis of this information allows for effective setting of public health priorities, planning, implementation, and ultimately evaluation of public health interventions, programmes, and services. This chapter aims to describe the key data sources accessed and the different statistical methods and techniques, used to determine the burden of disease in populations and where these populations may be geographically or demographically placed. By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: • Understand the data sources used in public health • Understand the different measures of disease used in public health • Understand how to interpret measures of disease • Understand the basic principles of data quality and information governance.