Clinical epidemiology in developing countries: Current situation and suggestions for the Indian context

BackgroundIn India, epidemiological services are well developed and epidemiology teaching is very much part of curriculum from undergraduate to doctorate level of studies. In spite of all the initiatives to sensitize physicians towards clinical epidemiology (CE), this academic discipline is still not popular as it should be. The development of CE teaching and the present situation along with way forward are discussed in this article.ObjectivesThis review article is aimed to describe the evolution of CE in India and critically look into the concept and scope of CE and evidence-based medicine (EBM) in the Indian setting.MethodsThis paper is a review of the status of 'clinical epidemiology - popularization' in India and the scope for further progress towards this direction.ResultsThe development of CE has taken a new pace after the introduction of EBM. Both CE and EBM are propagated by INCLEN-trained faculty mostly among medical students and teachers. The paper also looks into the linkages between public health epidemiology and CE in the context of involvement of clinical epidemiologists in public health programs.ConclusionsAfter discussing the directions for future, the paper proposes the inception of CE unit at each medical college and also the objectives and structure of such a unit. The article concludes emphasizing the need of public health orientation of CE, the importance of promotion of epidemiology in developing countries through capacity building, and allocation of dedicated funds towards popularization of CE. There is also an urgent need for replication and scale-up of clinical epidemiology unit (CEU) model to other medical colleges.