Clinical uses of the epidemiologic approach.
The trend in clinical research today is toward increasing reliance on quantitative epidemiologic methods. To evaluate the validity of studies based on epidemiologic principles and their applicability to clinical practice, a working knowledge of the most commonly used observational and experimental study designs is useful. Characteristics of three basic study designs are discussed.
D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012107:Research Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies