Incidence

Definition

Incidence is the number of new cases of a condition, symptom, death, or injury that develop during a specific time period, such as a year.

Incidence shows the likelihood that a person in a certain population will be newly affected by that condition in a specific period of time.

References

Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. 24th ed. Incidence. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company; 2021. www.tabers.com/tabersonline/view/Tabers-Dictionary/729742/0/incidence?q=Incidence. Accessed June 15, 2023.


Review Date: 4/27/2023
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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