Olaf Dammann - Böcker

Theory of illness causation is an important issue in all biomedical sciences, and solid etiological explanations are needed in order to develop therapeutic approaches in medicine and preventive interventions in public health. Until now, the literature about the theoretical underpinnings of illness causation research has been scarce and fragmented, and lacking a convenient summary. This interdisciplinary book provides a convenient and accessible distillation of the current status of research into this developing field, and adds a personal flavor to the discussion by proposing the etiological stance as a comprehensive approach to identify modifiable causes of illness.Key Features• Provides a synthesis of the epidemiological and philosophical concepts in this growing research area• Gives an accessible overview of current methods in biomedical causal metaphysics ̶ what is a cause of illness? ̶ and epistemology ̶ how do we identify it?• Proposes a novel approach that integrates modern epidemiological methodology and recent theories from philosophy of scienceWritten for postgraduate students and researchers in the health and biomedical sciences, including those undertaking courses in the philosophy of medicine/science, public and global health, introduction to epidemiology, research methods, and advanced reasoning, the content will also be of interest to practicing public health workers, biomedical scientists, and physicians.ABOUT THE AUTHOROlaf Dammann is Professor and Vice Chair of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; as well as a Professor in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.Cover image: Mask used by "Eskimo" shaman in causation of illness.Credit: Wellcome Collection. CC BY https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Theory of illness causation is an important issue in all biomedical sciences, and solid etiological explanations are needed in order to develop therapeutic approaches in medicine and preventive interventions in public health. Until now, the literature about the theoretical underpinnings of illness causation research has been scarce and fragmented, and lacking a convenient summary. This interdisciplinary book provides a convenient and accessible distillation of the current status of research into this developing field, and adds a personal flavor to the discussion by proposing the etiological stance as a comprehensive approach to identify modifiable causes of illness.Key Features• Provides a synthesis of the epidemiological and philosophical concepts in this growing research area• Gives an accessible overview of current methods in biomedical causal metaphysics ̶ what is a cause of illness? ̶ and epistemology ̶ how do we identify it?• Proposes a novel approach that integrates modern epidemiological methodology and recent theories from philosophy of scienceWritten for postgraduate students and researchers in the health and biomedical sciences, including those undertaking courses in the philosophy of medicine/science, public and global health, introduction to epidemiology, research methods, and advanced reasoning, the content will also be of interest to practicing public health workers, biomedical scientists, and physicians.ABOUT THE AUTHOROlaf Dammann is Professor and Vice Chair of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; as well as a Professor in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.Cover image: Mask used by "Eskimo" shaman in causation of illness.Credit: Wellcome Collection. CC BY https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

This book reviews important findings from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn Study (ELGAN), the largest cohort study ever completed involving individuals born extremely prematurely. With a focus on pre-, peri-, and post-natal inflammation, this study identified potentially modifiable risk factors and pathways antecedent to a broad range of neurodevelopmental impairments, as well as asthma and obesity, during middle childhood. These findings will be of interest to both practicing neonatologists and developmental paediatricians, as well as researchers interested in the prevention of adverse child health outcomes and promotion of positive health among individuals born extremely preterm. The only book to summarise findings from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn Study, the largest and most comprehensive cohort study ever conducted of this high-risk group.A comprehensive ‘one-stop-shopping’ resource.A broad range of neurodevelopmental outcomes are included, as well as the relationship of these outcomes to pre-, peri-, and post-natal risk factors. A focus of the study was perinatal inflammation, and the methods used to evaluate inflammation are the most comprehensive ever undertaken in an epidemiologic study of individuals born extremely preterm.The results of the ELGAN study will help Make a difference in the care and outcome of children born very early and make an important contribution to preventing learning and behavioural problems in children.

Marketing text: This book covers the overlap between informatics, computer science, philosophy of causation, and causal inference in epidemiology and population health research. Key concepts covered include how data are generated and interpreted, and how and why concepts in health informatics and the philosophy of science should be integrated in a systems-thinking approach. Furthermore, a formal epistemology for the health sciences and public health is suggested.Causation in Population Health Informatics and Data Science provides a detailed guide of the latest thinking on causal inference in population health informatics. It is therefore a critical resource for all informaticians and epidemiologists interested in the potential benefits of utilising a systems-based approach to causal inference in health informatics.

Olaf Dammann explores recent accounts of medicine as ineffective and suggests that the impression that medicine does not achieve its goal is, at least in part, due to the aleatoric (natural) uncertainty of biomedical processes and the subsequent epistemic (cognitive) uncertainty of those who desire solid information about such processes.

Marketing text: This book covers the overlap between informatics, computer science, philosophy of causation, and causal inference in epidemiology and population health research. Key concepts covered include how data are generated and interpreted, and how and why concepts in health informatics and the philosophy of science should be integrated in a systems-thinking approach. Furthermore, a formal epistemology for the health sciences and public health is suggested.Causation in Population Health Informatics and Data Science provides a detailed guide of the latest thinking on causal inference in population health informatics. It is therefore a critical resource for all informaticians and epidemiologists interested in the potential benefits of utilising a systems-based approach to causal inference in health informatics.