Comparing rules-based exposure and case-by-case expert assessment

Lifetimes of chemical exposure can have profound influences on disease development and progression, but the way in which these exposure levels can be assessed varies. Expert case-by-case assessment is often used, but it is a time consuming and expensive prospect. The other option is a rule-based exposure assessment.

Deborah Glass of the DEPM has compared the efficiency of both types at assessing occupational exposure to noxious chemicals by using data from a case-control study of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in which parental occupational exposures were originally assigned by expert assessment.

 Deborah discovered that the rule-based approach appeared to be an efficient alternative to the expert assessment, and represented a new way to determine occupational exposures in a community based study.