ABSTRACT
General Epidemiologic Considerations Importance of Epidemiology Epidemiology is a science concerned with the distribution of disease and the determinants of disease in populations. Although rooted in the field of public health, epidemiologic principles and the practice of epidemiology pertain directly to the care and management of individual patients. Epidemiology is quantitative. Quantification of observations and experiences is necessary to address many vital questions about a disease or group of diseases (such as colic). Epidemiologic studies enable us to address more accurately vital clinical questions relevant to managing horses with colic. These questions include: a) how often do horses experience colic? b) what factors predispose to colic? c) are certain diagnostic procedures superior to others? d) what is the most appropriate treatment for a given type of colic? and, e) what is the prognosis for a horse with a given type of colic? Answers to these and other important questions are derived from experiences or studies from individual cases or a series of cases. Information that is derived from studies in which there is a comparison (control) population is generally deemed to be superior to that derived from uncontrolled studies. Controlled studies include observational (i.e., primarily case-control and cohort [prospective] study designs) and experimental (i.e., randomized, controlled clinical trials) epidemiologic studies.
