Assessing and grading evidence in public health e-learning course (PRECEPT)

PRECEPT (Project on a Framework for Rating Evidence in Public Health) was initiated by ECDC to help translate the concepts and principles of evidence-based medicine into the area of public health, in particular infectious disease epidemiology, prevention, and control. PRECEPT presents a methodology for assessing and grading the strength of the evidence in such decision-relevant domains as burden of disease, risk factors, diagnostics, and interventions. The course is designed as an unmoderated, self-paced course, i.e. participants can set their own schedule. The different sections of the course are intended to be taken sequentially, but the course does not need to be completed all at once. A knowledge assessment tool is available in a mini simulation format.


Duration: Approximately 2 to 3 hours.


Audience: Public health professionals from all career levels with limited or no experience with evidence-based methods, in particular professionals involved in the conduct of evidence appraisals and the development of public health guidance. The course can be useful for any health-related professional or student. Basic knowledge of different study designs and possible sources of bias is helpful.


Objectives: Upon completion of the course, the participant will be able to: 

  • Understand, name, and explain the different steps and domains of PRECEPT; 
  • Identify and frame relevant questions in the different domains; 
  • Understand the concept of study validity and apply quality appraisal for different study designs in different domains; 
  • Apply the GRADE approach to different domains to determine the strength of a body of evidence.


Participation: This course is open for public enrolment.