Experimental versus observational studies
- A critical distinction exists between experimental and
observational studies
- Each requires different analytic tools and admit different types of
conclusions
- In experimental studies, the management of patients is
altered in order to conduct an experiment.
- In observational studies, the management of clinical
patients as it currently exists is the object of study
- Observational studies may be further divided into prospective
and retrospective studies; in general, prospective is preferred.
- But this distinction is not as overarching as the difference
between experiments and observations,