title: Different research designs and their characteristics in intensive care.
abstract: Different research designs have various advantages and limitations inherent to their main characteristics. Knowledge of the proper use of each design is of great importance to understanding the applicability of research findings to clinical epidemiology. In intensive care, a hierarchical classification of designs can often be misleading if the characteristics of the design in this context are not understood. One must therefore be alert to common problems in randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews/meta-analyses that address clinical issues related to the care of the critically ill patient.
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Terapia Intensiva, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wagner Luis
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Nedel
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Terapia Intensiva, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando da
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Silveira
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D012107:Research Design