CME Credits: 1.50

Type: Oral

Summary: In this session new epidemiological tools will be presented that may have direct application in data analysis and interpretation. Recently highly sophisticated analytical methods have been introduced in hospital epidemiology, for instance, mathematical modeling and Monte Carlo Markov Chain techniques. Faculty will discuss the application of these techniques with real-life examples. In the first presentation, faculty will address the critical role of staffing levels in controlling the spread of antibiotic resistant pathogens. In the second lecture faculty will present the abundance of (hidden) information to be derived from surveillance studies. Finally, the session will address propensity scoring techniques. It is difficult to demonstrate causality in observational studies, as patients without exposure to risk factors, or with or without endpoints may differ in many respects. Propensity scoring methods may reduce such confounding effects. In this session, faculty will explain and illustrate the principles of propensity scoring.