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Navigating research methods: quantitative and clinical/epidemiological methods 

Navigating research methods: quantitative and clinical/epidemiological methods
Chapter:
Navigating research methods: quantitative and clinical/epidemiological methods
DOI:
10.1093/med/9780199608478.003.0003
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date: 04 April 2020

This chapter focuses on various types of study design used in clinical and healthcare research with an emphasis on observational studies whilst randomised controlled trials are explained in Chapter 15. Within observational studies, the distinction between descriptive and analytical studies is made and different sources of error in epidemiological studies are reviewed. Main features, advantages and disadvantages of analytical observational studies are described for the following designs: ecological studies, cohort studies, case-control studies and cross-sectional studies. A brief overview of experimental studies is also given. Measures of disease occurrence (prevalence, cumulative incidence, incidence rate) as well as effect measures (1.difference measures, ie. attributable risk, and 2. ratio measures, i.e. relative risk, odds ratio, relative risk reduction, attributable fraction) are reviewed. The chapter also presents major characteristics of meta-analysis.

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