Mainstream news about treatments and testing for Covid-19 highlight the challenges of
communicating science-based topics to the general public. Reliable and trustworthy
information about treatments and diagnostic tests for given disease are critical for individual
and public health, and communication about these topics is complex. This discussion will
provide clinical epidemiology concepts that support the development of diagnostic and
treatment recommendations, and the tradeoffs that are present when developing
recommendations. This foundation will support attendees with a commercial interest in
developing medical treatments or diagnostic tests, as well as those with a personal interest in
diagnostics and treatments for a given medical condition.
Clinical epidemiology has a focus on individual health, rather than population-level concerns
that are the focus of field epidemiology. Of course, because individuals make up populations,
clinical epidemiology does have impacts on health care systems. As an important foundation of
Evidence Based Medicine, clinical epidemiology is distinguished from field epidemiology by its
focus on clinical trials and the integration of clinical research into the diagnosis and
management of disease in patients. This discussion will introduce concepts relevant to the
selection and interpretation of diagnostic tests. In addition, patient management topics that
will be covered include making a prognosis and deciding on the best therapy. Our goals for this
discussion will be for you to:
- Understand how diagnostic tests are developed and interpreted
- Understand how clinical management can be rigorously assessed
- Recognize that tradeoffs are inevitable during the diagnosis and management of clinical
cases
Dr. Miller
Dr. Miller is a veterinarian with a PhD in Clinical Science. His PhD studies emphasized the epidemiology of agent transmission, diagnostic testing, and One Health. He has advanced clinical specializations in animal welfare (Diplomate of the American College of Animal Welfare) and zoological medicine (Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine), as well as experience in a variety of laboratory, research, regulatory, exhibition, and other clinical settings. In addition to his broad research and publication background, he has served as a research and consultant. He has served on and lead a number of committees responsible for policy and guidelines that are used nationally and internationally.Learn more about Dr. Miller…
