Epidemiology in the Hospital Setting
Benjamin A. Rybicki, PhD
Senior Scientist, Henry Ford Hospital
Henry Ford Health System
Females
Age
#
Males
% of pop
#
Total
% of pop
#
% of pop
0-17
10529
7.6%
10814
7.8%
21343
15.4%
18-29
8887
6.4%
7667
5.5%
16554
11.9%
30-39
6543
4.7%
4775
3.4%
11318
8.1%
40-49
10761
7.7%
8362
Age
6.0% Females
19123
Males
13.8%
50-59
14400
10.4%
11498 0 - 178.3%
63458
25898
66583
18.6%
130041
60-69
11186
8.0%
7846
5.6%
42306
21002
38462
13899
39189
15.1%
32150
10.0%
81495
70-79
9816 18 - 29
7.1%
6053 30 - 39
4.4%
80+
5855
4.2%
3976 40 - 49
2.9%
50-59
62961
45.3%
60-69
51924
9831
52733
138968
31578
46138
7.1%
47000
100.0%
29638
98062
13773
11710
25483
9943
6764
16707
304177
279172
583349
Total
76007
54.7%
70-79
80+
Total
Total
70612
99733
61216
Respiratory
Research
Cardiovascular
Epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiologists
Population Database Interviewers Molecular Biology
Human
PopulationsAbstractors Molecular
Bio
Laboratory
Laboratory
Prog/Data Mgrs. Data Entry
Cancer
Mol Biologists
Statistics
Statistics
Biostatisticians
Neuro
Biostatistics & Research Epidemiology
www.henryford.com/body.cfm?id=39207
BRE Organizational Structure
Biostatisticians
13
Epidemiologists
16
Data Management & Programming
10
Data Entry
2
Project Support
10
Molecular Epid Research Lab
6
Abstracting, Interviewing, RN/LPNs, MAs
36
Computer Facility
4
Grants Managers
2
Total Staff
103
Secretarial
3
Administrative Manager
1
A Nested Case-Control Study using a
Pathology-based Cohort
Benign Cohort
1990 – 2006
N=8,117*
PSA test +/- 1 year of benign specimen (N=7,122)
Yes
Prostate cancer diagnosis on or before
12/31/2010
Cases
N=1,441
Controls
N=5,681
≥ 1 year between benign
specimen and cancer
diagnosis
N=1,136
Aim 1 &
Aim 2
Aim 3
Benign tissue
available for study
N=931
Tumor tissue
available for study
N=698
No
≥ 1 year of follow-up
after benign biopsy
N=4,431
Case-Control Matching:
Age, race, and follow-up
duration
800 case-control pairs
650 case-control pairs
Benign tissue
available for study
N=3,633
Summary
•At Henry Ford, epidemiologists lead and co-lead research in
step with the mission of the health system. Biostatisticians
are often co-investigators on epidemiologist-lead research, but
focus most on statistical issues across multiple projects.
• Epidemiologists tend to favor observational studies, but
often employ methodologies developed by basic science
researchers and team with clinical researchers doing
intervention studies.
• Investigators who want to use population data to address a
research question can benefit from interactions with an
epidemiologist.