FHE5100 – Register-based Studies
Course description
Course content
In this course, the student will get insight into the official health registers in Norway, including registries from primary and secondary care, and other registers important for health research. The students will plan register-based studies and learn to work with both simple and complex register-based datasets and learn how to critically read papers based on registers.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
- describe the purpose and structure of central registers in Norway that are relevant for health research and how data can be used
- explain how coding takes place in registries based on diseases, diagnostic and treatment pathways
- explain how data quality depends on the origin of the data, and by how and whom it was registered
- describe Norwegian laws and regulations pertaining to register-based data
- describe strengths and weaknesses of register-based data
- describe how systematic errors can occur when using register-based data
Skills
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
- plan register-based studies
- handle very large register-based data sets
- define research questions, exposures, and outcomes in register-based data by using knowledge about diseases and treatment and combining available information from different registers
- carry out and analyse register-based studies (using data from a single registry, data combined from two or more registries, or a combination of registry data and clinical or survey data)
- identify confounders, mediators, colliders, unmeasured variables, and instrument variables
- identify sources of systematic errors in register-based data, and develop strategies to minimize the impact of such errors in the design and analysis phase
General competence
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
- read and critically evaluate scientific protocols and papers that use register-based data
Admission
This course is only available for master students at Folkehelsevitenskap og epidemiologi (FHE), and International Community Health (ICH). Students at FHE and ICH must apply for this course in Studentweb.
- Students at Folkehelsevitenskap og epidemiologi have priority
- There are 10 available seats for students at International Community Health. If there are more than 10 applicants from International Community Health, the principle of the first come, first served applies.
Prerequisites
Recommended previous knowledge
- INTHE4020 Introduction to Quantitative Methods; or equivalent
- INTHE4021 Introduction to Epidemiology; or equivalent
- FHE4110 Fundamentals in Database Management and Data Analyses
- FHE4120 Introduction to Logistic and Cox regression
- FHE4100 Fundamentals of Clinical Epidemiology and Evidence-based Medicine
Teaching
- About 50% of the teaching will be lectures, whereas the rest will be group work and computer exercises
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
Oral exam in groups.
Grading
The Board at the University of Oslo has decided to introduce detailed guidelines for all examinations, which take place at the University. The description of the grading should be clear and transparent. This is done to ensure alignment between learning outcomes, assignments, and grading. The Faculty of Medicine has developed a web page with information regarding exams and the grading procedures.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English.You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Evaluation
The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.