Which of the following is NOT one of the four major goals of epidemiology?

• A. Determine whether exposure really causes the health outcome
• B. Identify population subgroups at higher risk for contracting disease
• C. Implement screening procedure
• D. Develop new medical treatments for patients

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is what epidemiology aims to accomplish at the population level: understanding how disease distributes in groups, what factors influence it, and how to prevent or control it. Developing new medical treatments for patients is a downstream clinical/therapeutic activity, not a core epidemiologic goal. Epidemiology focuses on figuring out whether an exposure can cause an outcome, identifying subgroups at higher risk, and using tools like screening to detect disease and guide prevention in populations. So the option about creating new treatments fits outside those population-level aims, making it the correct choice for what is not one of the major goals.