During the COVID-19 pandemic, both the promise and perils of using infectious disease transmission models to make public health policy decisions became clearer than ever. Optimal use of modeled output requires that public health policy makers be informed consumers of models, that they understand the strengths and limitations of possible approaches, and they know the right questions to ask about the vulnerabilities of the model results. This course aims to provide anyone who makes decisions about public health policies and programs with a clear understanding of how infectious disease transmission models work, the various types and functions, and how they can be appropriately used to make decisions. There is no requirement that students have any prior background in infectious disease models and the course does not include any equations. Anyone with a basic background in public health and infectious diseases with an interest in learning more about infectious disease models will benefit from this course. In this course, participants will review the basics of infectious disease transmission models, including comparisons to other types of predictions used in daily life and an overview of the key components of a model and modeling structure. Next, participants will delve into the types of infectious disease models: forecasting, inferential, and theoretical models. Then, participants will learn about assessing whether a model is useful, reasonable and relevant, as well as the vulnerabilities of these models. These concepts will be applied to case studies of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2014-2016 and the COVID-19 pandemic. The course will be rounded out with a review of how models inform policy decisions, including major sources of uncertainty for decision making. Learners who complete this course will have a broad view of infectious disease transmission models, how to assess the usefulness of a given model, and how these models inform policy decisions. Who should take this course? -Public health policy makers -Anyone interested in learning about how infectious disease transmission models can guide public health policy The development of this training was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics. We are grateful to Coursera for waiving enrollment fees through 2025.
I learned a from this course about the different infection control models and how they are link together.
The inputs and discussions were outstanding, but they could also be quite difficult to digest the first time. :)
Theoretical concepts were discussed with sufficient details and relevant examples. However, it can be supplemented by performing a few modeling activities in Microsoft Excel.
The course is a very interesting and knowledge filled one. And it's such friendly easy to understand course for even those not in the discipline of public health.
Thank you for providing the information about basics of the different models to use for public health policy and decision making.
Very interesting and didactic. Thank you very much to this training in Infectious Disease Transmission Models it is very useful.
It was a real experience inspite of being online classes had good speaker who were great mentors ,knowledge based practical examples . Thnaks to coursera for itregards
I got my MPH in 2022 and this was a great review of epidemiology and transmission models for me since I haven't touched them in a while. Thank you!
interesting class helped expand my knowledge and understanding of models and how to apply them in practice
It was interesting down to the last piece of lecture, excellent explanations for the complex problems.
As a risk communications practitoner, I highly recommend this refresher course to my colleagues. Thanks JHU and Coursera for making available to the public. My appreciation.
I truly liked taking this course. I really learned a lot about Infectious Disease Transmission Models and so much more. This course was very interesting.
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It was a real experience inspite of being online classes had good speaker who were great mentors ,knowledge based practical examples . Thnaks to coursera for it
regards
what a tremendous course most of knowledge we have learned from this. We request to all my dear colleagues to take this course for knowledge gaining about infection
The course is a very interesting and knowledge filled one. And it's such friendly easy to understand course for even those not in the discipline of public health.
I really enjoyed this course and I learned a lot. It was well organized and the material was well presented. I'd recommend to additions to the course. 1. Provide a brief discussion of how the various model structures (mechanistic, statistical, etc) intersect with the types of models (forecasting, inferential, etc). I found the presentation of these two different taxonomies without any discussion of how they related to each other to be confusing. 2. In the final section there were two occasions where the graphics presented would have benefited from more discussion. First was in the ebola discussion. It would have been useful to get more detail on what caused the projected incidence of ebola to be so much higher than the actual incidence. Second, I needed more explanation of the set of graphs showing the best population to target for vaccine to reduce covid-19 infections. I would have liked pointers to the actual lines in the graphs being referenced in the discussion. But all in all, a great course.
I recently had the opportunity to complete the "Infectious Disease Transmission Models for Decision-Makers" course on Coursera, and I am thrilled to share my experience with this valuable program. As a Master of Public Health student, this course has immensely enriched my understanding of infectious disease dynamics and decision-making processes in public health. The course content was exceptionally well-structured, offering in-depth insights into various infectious disease transmission models. The modules were comprehensive, covering fundamental concepts and advanced methodologies. The instructors demonstrated a profound knowledge of the subject matter, presenting complex ideas in an accessible and engaging manner. The inclusion of real-world case studies and examples made the learning experience both practical and relevant. One of the highlights of the course was its applicability to real-life scenarios. The emphasis on how infectious disease models can inform decision-making processes was particularly valuable. As an aspiring public health professional, I found the practical applications of these models in policy formulation and intervention planning to be extremely insightful. The course provided me with a strong foundation to critically analyze and interpret infectious disease data, enabling me to make evidence-based recommendations. Moreover, the interactive nature of the course, including quizzes and peer discussions, facilitated a collaborative learning environment. Engaging with fellow students from diverse backgrounds allowed me to gain new perspectives and broaden my understanding of the subject matter. Additionally, the course resources, including readings, videos, and supplementary materials, were meticulously curated, providing comprehensive coverage of the topic. The instructors' prompt responses to queries and active participation in discussions further enhanced the overall learning experience. In summary, "Infectious Disease Transmission Models for Decision-Makers" on Coursera has been an invaluable asset to my academic and professional journey in public health. The knowledge and skills I acquired during this course have equipped me with the tools necessary to contribute meaningfully to the field. I highly recommend this course to fellow students and professionals interested in mastering the intricacies of infectious disease modeling and its applications in decision-making processes.
These are very good opportunities for people in very remote less resource places of the earth to access learning from the best universities of the World, that i always imagine impossible or a dream. However, we would appreciate if you add names of the learner in his or her certificate. as certificates appear without the learner's name which is very discouraging. Continue to teach Infectious diseases, food and nutrition, and non-communicable diseases also need to be covered, especially new topics like how climate changes might affect the infectious disease transmission, including possibility of newly emerging diseases as human to animal contact becomes closer than ever before as humans start settling or venture into traditional animal habitats.
The course is just right for the moment. It is well structured and delivered to meet the objectives for both modelers and policy decision-makers in a concise manner. I want specially thank the facilitators and Coursera for this platform of educating the world, especially for people like me from low-resource settings. I will recommend it to anyone practicing in the public health space anywhere in the world.
it was a great opportunity to have partake in this course , it has given me a broader idea on policy making during an Outbreak and as well as knowing different kinds of models and and how to implement them effectively!
thanks to emily the professor in charge all detailed well elaborated and also her colleague who presented the case study i enjoyed every bit of it with deep insight !
This material is short and sweet. While it will definitely not make you a full-fledged infectious disease transmission modeller right away, the concise material can effectively serve as an umbrella introduction to the techniques/practice, a primer for decision-makers and policy advocates to get up to speed on what modelling can or cannot offer, or both.
Although my educational background is not in public health, I was able to learn a lot from taking this course because it was organised and simple to understand. I was able to understand the fundamentals of the infectious disease transmission model, model selection strategy, and other important factors. Thank you
This course required extreme focus to details and directions to successfully complete. I plan to review my notes and materials obtained. With the triple threat of Covid19, RSV and Flu, one needs to be well educated about infectious diseases and this course provides some necessary tools.
Great overview of infectious disease modeling key concepts, pitfalls, and their appropriate use for public health intervention. The course is effective in conveying concepts clearly and efficiently and the examples are relatable examples and illustrate the concepts nicely.
This course would be an excellent starting point for anyone new to infectious disease modeling and a valuable refresher for professionals in the field. I highly recommend it to policymakers who play a critical role in shaping public health decisions in their communities.
it was so functioning and well course i am delighted to work with you ,and realy i cant imagine being able to read and listen the same time thanks all the doctors and proffesors who helped me acheive this certificate
thanks once again ,MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
This course was really amazing. I loved to learn this course, as well as the I loved the way , all professors used to teach me in video. I would like to appreciate about this course and i'd like to further course for my knowledge.
Thanks to Coursera & John Hopkins University for this Course-
An excellent Review of infectious disease transmission models, how to assess the usefulness of a given model, and how these models inform policy decisions.
This course helps a lot and understands knowledge that I have never studied before and I am happy because the lecturers who teach are very clear and detailed so that my mind is open to learning the material
was a really great course, to the persons to work in epidemiology survillance, and the maker desisions, and reaserchers, compleat and excelent desing, congrats and il´l waiting for new courses
Covers the basics of infectious disease transmission models. Some of the case studies were difficult to follow as they assumed prior knowledge of the disease transmission terms.
excelente forma para aprender a realizar modelos y facilitar la toma de decisiones. Agradecida por sus enseñanzas, que podré llevar acabo en mi área de trabajo. Muchas gracias.