E-epidemiology (also known as Digital Epidemiology) is the science underlying the acquisition, maintenance and application of

epidemiological Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...

knowledge and information using digital media such as the

internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

, mobile phones,

digital paper Digital paper, also known as interactive paper, is patterned paper used in conjunction with a digital pen to create handwritten digital documents. The printed dot pattern uniquely identifies the position coordinates on the paper. The digital pen ...

digital TV Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using digital encoding, in contrast to the earlier analog television technology which used analog signals. At the time of its development it was considered an innovative adva ...

. E-epidemiology also refers to the large-scale epidemiological studies that are increasingly conducted through distributed global collaborations enabled by the Internet. The traditional approach in performing epidemiological trials by using paper questionnaires is both costly and time-consuming. The questionnaires have to be transformed to analyzable data and a large number of personnel are needed throughout the procedure. Modern communication tools, such as the web, cell phones and other current and future communication devices, allow rapidly and cost-efficient assembly of data on determinants for lifestyle and health for broad segments of the population. Modern IT technology provides means for storage, organization and retrieval of large amounts of biological and lifestyle data, which will ensure more data and more reliable statistical results. Efficient number crunching computing, using modern analytical tools and simulation based inference procedures allow knowledge to be extracted from the resulting large and complex data-structures. Web portals directly connected to the studies enables instant feedback and information to the participants. It also allows animations and other web based tools linked to the questionnaires, which can increase the interactivity and facilitates flow of information between the study participant and the study centre. The web portal will also generate a possibility for the Universities to carry out the third assignment, which is to spread the knowledge generated at the University to the public. Important aspects of e-epidemiology include the development of security and confidentiality preserving solutions to protect individual integrity and research data ownership.

Miquel Porta Miquel Porta (Barcelona, 1957) is a Catalan physician, epidemiologist and scholar. He has promoted the integration of biological, clinical and environmental knowledge and methods in health research and teaching, which he has conducted internationa ...

(2014)
A dictionary of epidemiology
', 6th edn, New York: Oxford University Press. . But entering an epidemiological trial via the Internet is probably safer than traditional manners. Accurate security programmes and firewalls are a critical condition for handling personal records over the Internet.

References

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External links

MEB.ki.se
- Professor Jan-Eric Litton (faculty homepage),

Karolinska Institutet The Karolinska Institute (KI; sv, Karolinska Institutet; sometimes known as the (Royal) Caroline Institute in English) is a research-led medical university in Solna within the Stockholm urban area of Sweden. The Karolinska Institute is consist ...

(

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

website) * https://web.archive.org/web/20060722224532/http://www.phi.man.ac.uk/Presentations/e-epidemiology.pdf Epidemiology

See also

References

External links