Medical Statistics and Applied Physics

Preliminary tools
∙ Fundamental and derived quantities, International System
∙ Multiples and submultiples, scientific notation and significant figures
∙ Estimates of orders of magnitude
∙ Scalar and vector quantities
∙ Vector operations
Mechanics
∙ Uniform straigth motion, uniformly accelerated motion
∙ Principles of dynamics
∙ Forces: gravitational, weight, constraint reaction, friction, elastic
∙ Motion on an inclined plane
∙ Work of a force
∙ Kinetic energy theorem
∙ Conservative forces, potential energy
∙ Conservation of mechanical energy
∙ Dissipative forces
∙ Types of deformation
∙ Stress-strain curves, Young modulus
∙ States of matter
Fluids
∙ Pressure
∙ Relative pressure
∙ Tonometer and measurement of ocular pressure
∙ Stevin's law
∙ Archimedes force
∙ Flow rate
∙ Bernoulli's theorem
∙ Viscosity
Elettromagnetism and optics
∙ Electric charge
∙ Coulomb's force and electric field
∙ Electric potential
∙ Conducting and insulating materials
∙ Electric current
∙ Electric resistance
∙ Joule effect
Termodynamics
∙ Absolute temperature
∙ Latent and specific heat

THE ROLE OF STATISTICS IN THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF STUDY IN THE CLINICAL AREA
- studies to estimate prevalence and incidence
- risk factor studies (case-control and cohort)
- experimental studies for the evaluation of a treatment (observational, experimental (phase I, II, III)
- notes on the PubMed database
ELEMENTS OF DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
- Measurement scales of variables
- Graphical representations (bar charts, pie charts, histograms, box plots)
- Numerical synthesis measurements (depending on the measurement scale and the shape of the distribution) mean, median, mode, interquartile range, standard deviation
GAUSSIAN DISTRIBUTION
Mathematical characteristics of the distribution
Interpretation of the parameters
The standardized Gaussian
Use of tables to calculate probability
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
- Sensitivity, specificity
- Likelihood Ratio (positive and negative)
- Predictive values (positive and negative)
INTRODUCTION TO INFERENCE
- Sample distributions of means and proportions
- central limit theorem
- confidence interval for means and proportions
- the use of Student's t distribution
- hypothesis tests on means and proportions

Statistics and Scientific Method: statistics for measurement: Measurement errors; Variability sources: biological and analytical variability; Accuracy and precision; Laboratory measurements and statistical models
Study of the association between risk factors and disease.
Statistical association and causality of effects.
Observation and experimental studies
Epidemiology / clinical study plans: cohort and case-control studies.
Confusion and random assignment to treatments.
Prevalence and incidence measures and their estimation.
Relative risk and odds ratio between exposed and not exposed to risk factors.
The study of the association between quantitative variables
Association and addiction
Calibration of measurement methods and regression
Experimental plan and analysis of variance
Concordance between measurement methods.
Application of the statistical test for the comparison between groups with different treatment.
Significance and power of the statistical test
Comparison between statistical significance and clinical relevance.
Study of the effectiveness of a preventive / therapeutic intervention.
The ethical basis of clinical / epidemiological research.
Phase I, II and III clinical trials.
Target population and inclusion criteria.
Treatment effectiveness measures.
Statistical interaction and response to treatment