The Master in Pharmacoepidemiology and Evaluation of Integrated Care trains professionals with multidisciplinary skills.
Purpose of this course is providing the elements to plan and implement pharmacoepidemiology and integrated care evaluation studies, using real world data, obtained by integrating administrative and healthcare flows and medical registries, and to interpret the relevant scientific literature in a critical way.
It is a Level-2 annual, inter-university Master, provided in online and on-demand mode, and promoted by the Biostatic, Epidemiology and Public Health Unit of the Cardio-ThoraVascular and Public Healthcare Studies Department of the University of Padua, and by the Healthcare Research & Pharmacoepidemiology Centre, in partnership with 12 Universities, and with the additional participation of professors from 9 Institutions and Regions.
The Master in Pharmacoepidemiology and Evaluation of Integrated Care is divided into two training areas, provided online and on-demand through the Moodle multimedia platform.
The first part provides basic knowledge on epidemiology, biostatistics and research planning, and covers the main healthcare information systems, and data integration and management methods. Then, it describes the main planning projects and statistical techniques commonly employed in pharmacoepidemiology. The last part delves on the main methodological principles required to evaluate integrated care, and provides the fundamentals on healthcare regulatory aspects.
The Master in Pharmacoepidemiology and Evaluation of Integrated Care provides technical and scientific training to professionals with multidisciplinary skill, working in the healthcare sector, to help them plan and conduct observational epidemiology studies within the pharmacoepidemiology and integrated care evaluation field.
Career opportunities include pharmaceutical companies, national healthcare service institutions and universities.
Module 1: Biostatistics and Epidemiology – Prof. Cristina Canova, University of Padua
The module introduces the principles of biostatistics and epidemiology applied to pharmacoepidemiology.
It explores study design and the use of quantitative methods in healthcare research.
Different types of epidemiological studies are analyzed, including cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies.
Students learn to use statistical software for data analysis.
The course also develops skills in critically evaluating results, considering errors, bias, and confounding.
Module 2: Healthcare Data Sources and Information Flows – Prof. Salvatore Scondotto, Kore University of Enna
The module presents the main healthcare information systems used in public health.
It analyzes various data sources, including hospital discharge records (SDO), mortality data, pharmaceutical databases, CEDAP, and cancer registries.
It explores data integration methods through record linkage and algorithms for disease identification.
It introduces the role of Real World Evidence in observational studies and regulatory policies.
It provides tools to assess the quality, accuracy, and potential biases of healthcare data sources.
Module 3: Pharmacoepidemiology I – Prof. Giovanni Corrao, University of Milano-Bicocca
The module introduces the methodological principles of research in pharmacoepidemiology.
It examines the role of the discipline in the development and evaluation of drugs.
Key epidemiological measures, study designs, and statistical analysis methods are presented.
Major sources of bias in studies and strategies to control them are analyzed.
The course provides skills to understand, interpret, and contribute to the design of pharmacoepidemiological studies.
Module 4: Pharmacoepidemiology II – Prof. Francesco Barone Adesi, University of Eastern Piedmont
The module explores advanced applications of pharmacoepidemiology.
It applies basic methods to areas such as comparative effectiveness, drug utilization, and evaluation of vaccines and biologics.
It introduces specific topics such as pediatric pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics.
It presents the Target Trial Emulation approach in observational studies.
The course also introduces advanced statistical methods such as multilevel analysis, meta-analysis, multistate models, and signal detection.
Module 5: Methods for Evaluating Integrated Care – Prof. Flavia Carle, Marche Polytechnic University
The module introduces integrated care systems and their role in modern healthcare.
It provides methodological principles for evaluating effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and quality of care.
It explores study design and statistical methods for evaluation.
It teaches how to gather scientific evidence from the literature and analyze real-world examples.
Students acquire skills to assess and improve integrated care pathways.
Module 6: Regulatory Aspects and Policy – Prof. Carlo Piccinni, Research and Health Foundation
The module analyzes new models of integrated hospital-community care based on the PNRR and the National Chronicity Plan 2025.
It provides tools to understand and apply care pathways (PDTA) and regulatory changes within the National Health Service.
It explores the use of Real-World Evidence (RWE) to support regulatory decisions and healthcare innovation.
It illustrates the use of administrative healthcare data to identify target populations and evaluate drugs.
It enables students to understand drug access, effectiveness evaluation, and the sustainability of care pathways.
Director: Cristina Canova, University of Padua
Co-Director: Matteo Franchi, University of Milan-Bicocca
12 participating Universities: University of INSUBRIA, MILAN-BICOCCA, PADUA, PALERMO, PAVIA, WESTERN PIEDMONT, SASSARI, TURIN, TRIESTE, UDINE, VERONA, Polytechnic University of the MARCHE Region.
9 participating Institutions and Regions: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Azienda Ospedaliera Udine, Azienda Provinciale Sanitaria di Trento, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardia, Marche, Sardegna, Sicilia, Veneto.
The general ranking of merit will be published on the Italian page of this Master according to the timing provided in the Call.
Information
FAQ
Attendance at the master’s programme is compulsory. In order to obtain the qualification and the certificate of attendance for the master’s programme, students must attend 70% of the online lessons.
1. Exemption for students with disabilities
There is no enrolment fee for candidates with a certified disability and an invalidity rating of between 66% and 100%, or for those in possession of a certificate pursuant to Law No. 104. These students will only be required to pay the pre-enrolment fee, insurance and stamp duty.
2. PA110 cum laude discount
Public administration employees who enrol in the Master’s programme are entitled to a discount of €330 on the second instalment of the enrolment fee.
Enrolment for University staff.
University staff are eligible for enrolment as supernumeraries to enable continuous and permanent professional development. The enrolment fee for University technical and administrative staff is 20% of the standard fee. If staff members meet the course admission requirements, once they have completed the course they will be awarded the relevant Diploma or Certificate. If they do not meet the admission requirements, they may be admitted as auditors and receive a certificate of attendance.
3. Enrolment fee for auditors
The enrolment fee for auditors is 50% of the course enrolment fee. At the end of the course, auditors who have met the minimum attendance requirement may be issued with a certificate of attendance by the course director.
The Master is online, and may be followed also by students working full-time jobs, since it will be provided on demand on UniPD Moodle multimedia platform.
It features on-demand lessons, as it was designed for students and professionals who wish to conciliate other activities and professions with the need to qualify or specialize themselves further.
The course covers many interrelated topics, divided into six modules, with periodical homework to test the competences acquired. Homework is also provided on-demand. Interaction between students and professors will be frequent, and facilitated through Moodle Forum.
The second part of the course will include a project work (approximately around June-August) during which students will draft a protocol, a study plan, and real data analysis concerning the concepts acquired through the Master, with the option of including cases promoted by students, in agreement with the tutor. The project work will also be presented online, on the Zoom platform.
The final evaluation will refer to both the homework completed during the year and to the project work.
The Master’s programme does not include an internship or work placement, as at the end of the course there is a Project Work assignment on a topic covered during the Master’s programme. The assignment will be discussed online in front of an examination board.
Admission to the Master’s programme is based solely on academic qualifications. The procedures are described in the Master’s programme application form, which can be found on the University of Padua website.