This online, self-paced course for librarians and students in health sciences describes different types of health statistics, how they are collected, and where they can be found.

How many Americans are affected by cardiovascular disease each year? Are there geographic gaps in access to health care? How do the leading causes of death in the United States differ from those worldwide? Do mRNA vaccines, like the COVID-19, cause cardiovascular events? Does the use of oral contraceptives (birth control pills) increase the risk of breast cancer?

The answers to these important questions and many others can be found in data collected by government, private, and non-profit agencies and organizations. The health statistics reported by these groups are critical to monitoring trends in the health status of populations, planning how health care resources are distributed, and evaluating the effectiveness of public health interventions.

Designed for health sciences librarians and students, this online course describes different types of health statistics, how they are collected, and where they can be found. This class is self-paced and on-demand, which means you work on your own and on your schedule to complete activities such as interactive quizzes and in-depth exercises.