The Epidemiology exemplar is currently under development and focuses on creating estimates for various (geo-located) health and lifestyle indicators to assess the burden of disease and its related factors and planning for local health services via statistical modelling techniques. It is targeted at health researchers at all levels of expertise, policy consultants and planners within local health services.

A sample use would see the researcher/planner first use Census data to estimate the population for a given time period, representing the appropriate demographic distribution within that local population (including age, sex, marital status and socio-economic indicators). Then health survey data sources (e.g. Health Survey for England) would  be used for obtaining nationally representative data sources for e.g. blood pressure, body mass index, medical history for important illnesses (heart disease, diabetes, etc.), smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity.

From these data sources, a tool would be provided wherein one can estimate the local prevalence of e.g. hypertension, use of blood pressure- and lipid-lowering drugs, obesity, various  medical conditions, smoking, excessive alcohol drinking and sedentary lifestyle.

The researcher/planner would be able to modify the basis for their synthetic estimates (for example, they may either want an overall estimate for their local population or they may want to obtain estimates for specific subgroups such as by sex, age or deprivation level). The estimates would then be able to be adjusted for time (ie, examining variation in estimates with changing demographic patterns).  Ideally, the exemplar would allow the users to configure the modelling technique so that they are able to examine 'worst' and 'best' case scenarios for their estimation.

As elements of the Epidemiology Exemplar become available for use, they will be made available through the website.