Epidemiology Research and Evaluation

The Department of Epidemiology Research & Evaluation supports Eisenhower Health’s mission and vision by providing supportive research, evaluation, and education for Eisenhower Health and the greater Coachella Valley community and region.

Our mission is to improve human health and well-being by conducting high-quality, objective, and methodologically sound research and evaluation of health programs and policies. We aim to advance this mission through a wide-range of research topics, program and policy evaluation, public service, education, community partnerships, and stakeholder engagement.

What is Epidemiology?

Epidemiology is the study of the occurrence and distribution of health-related events and processes in populations, including the study of the determinants influencing these processes, and the application of this knowledge to control health problems (Source: Dictionary of Epidemiology, 6th ed.)

Determinants are the geophysical, biological, behavioral, social, economic, cultural, and political factors that influence health. See Population Health Program Areas for more on social determinants of health.

The study of epidemiology includes surveillance, observation, screening, hypothesis testing, analytic research, experiments, and prediction. Over the past 90 years, epidemiology has grown from concern with communicable disease epidemics (e.g., smallpox, malaria, HIV/AIDS, Ebola) to include all phenomena related to health in populations (e.g., social determinants of health), and the intersection of human health with animals and plants

(see “One Health” approach) (Dictionary of Epidemiology, 6th ed.).