title: Numbers that count: analytic methods for hospital epidemiology, Part 1.
abstract: The hospital epidemiologist is responsible for generating information that will be used to evaluate and assure high quality, minimal risk medical care. To accomplish this objective, the epidemiologist uses standard epidemiologic methods. Although used primarily in infection control, these methods are also applicable in the analysis of other types of institutional risks and in the assessment of quality of care. This review provides the reader, who we assume has minimal formal training in epidemiology and statistics, with some basic tools for analyzing data and generating useful information. We consider three major topic areas: basic concepts regarding numbers and data, analysis of nominal data, and analysis of discrete and continuous data. Hypothetical problems that may be encountered in the hospital illustrate the application of epidemiologic methods to studies of risk control, quality assurance, and infection control. The infection control practitioner who is adept in using epidemiologic methods to solve infection control problems should be able to adapt these methods to other programs in her or his institution.
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous; D001699:Biometry; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D004813:Epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D009871:Operating Room Nursing; D011247:Pregnancy; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012107:Research Design; D012308:Risk Management; D014481:United States