title: [Classification by levels of clinico-epidemiological research designs].
abstract: The objective was to identify the characteristics of epidemiologic designs enabling their classification. A critical review of the literature in the clinical epidemiologic area was done to establish the main differences between designs. A meeting with experts to discuss this controversial topic and obtain criteria by consensus was organized. We propose an integral classification based on levels with two fundamental shafts: intervention and explanatory reasoning.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Oncológicas, área Epidemiológica Clínica, Hospital de Oncología, México, D.F.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hernández-Hernández
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garduño-Espinosa
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hernández-Sierra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fajardo-Gutiérrez
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mejía-Arangure
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Martínez-García
mesh_terms: D002965:Classification; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D012107:Research Design
vernacular_title: Clasificación en niveles de los diseños de investigación clínico-epidemiológicos.