The educative proposal is based on healthcare team members´need to acquire basic necessary tools for a comprehensive and critical reading of scientific reports as well as to develop continuous research work as part of their every-day professional clinical practice.

Audience: Residents
 
Objectives of the rotation:

Conceptual:
- Know the basic concepts supporting the scientific method.
- Understand the importance of their systematic use in professional work.
- Know the basic concepts and methods of epidemiology.
- Know the essential tools to elaborate a scientific research protocol, implement it and finally assess the results obtained.
Actitudinal:
- Active participation in the teaching-learning process.
- Integration to interdisciplinary work groups.
- Design of strategies for problem-solving.
- Development of a critical attitude and of permanent self-evaluation.
- Identification of adequate and inadequate methodologies in a research work.
- Value of scientific attitude.

Skills and abilities

- Identify, categorize and codify variables
- Determine an adequate simple size  
- Handle registry systems
- Design and elaborate data bases
- Handle basic software for statistical analysis
- Analytical reading of scientific papers
- Bibliographic search engines
- Elaborate a research protocol

Conceptual contents:

1. Scientific research and scientific method.
   Use in professional practice
2. Research areas:
   Basic research. Clinical research. Epidemiological research.
   Social research. Health system and services research.
3. Case histories as scientific protocols.
   Bibliographic search. Types. MEDLINE and LILACS. Use of key words
4. Epidemiology:
   Concepts. Clinic and Epidemiology. Use and application.
   Confidence intervals.
   Epidemiological phenomena. Indicators.
   Prevalence. Incidence. Mortality and morbidity.
   Proof assessment. Sensitivity. Specificity. Predictive value.
   Causal relationships. Types of association. Contributing factors. Risk
5. Design:
   Types of research. Main characteristics.
   Stages of a research protocol.
   Theoretical framework. Aims. Hypothesis.
   Differences with case histories.
6. Variables:
   Definitionand types.
   Quantitative andn qualitative variables.
   Observable and nonobservable variables.
   Operational variables. Indicators.
7. Qualitative and quantitative methodology:
   Main tools:
   Survey and interview.
   Design. Elaboration and implementation.
8. Errors in design:
   False/Spurious associations. Randomization and bias.
   Types of bias. Confusion.
   Control of errors in design.
9. Statistics:
   Concept and implications. Types.
   Universe and sample. Determination of simple size.
   Normal curve. Central tendency and dispersion.
   Strength of association. Comparisons. Correlations.
   Statistical significance. Statistical proof. Type I and II errors.
   Confidence and validity.
   Choice of statistical test.
10. Data base:
    Data and information.
    Computing as a data collection and data analysis tools.
    Design and elaboration of a data base. Codification.
11. Health statistics software.
    EpiInfo 6
12. Critical analysis of a scientific papers

Activities to perform
Courses

• Data bases and statistical analysis of data
• Research methodology in health sciences

Bibliographic search
Lecturer: Librarian Guillermina Guidoni

Lectures of Pediatric Residency for the development of scientific work
Lecturer: Dr. Néstor B. Pérez

Field work with protocols from IDIP
Coordinator: Dr. Horacio F. Gonzalez