Study Designs Used in Applications of Automated Databases for Epidemiologic Research
A list and description of the types of study designs that are commonly used for epidemiologic studies are provided in the following links:
- http://www.studentbmj.com/back_issues/0801/education/277.html » (by Mona Okasha epidemiologist, University of Bristol)
- https://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/ehc/216_disinfectants_part_4.pdf » (in particular pages 277-285).
Although not all of the study designs are appropriate when using automated secondary data resources, the study designs that can be considered when working with these databases include: case-control studies, retrospective cohort studies, nested case-control studies, secular trend analyses, drug utilization studies, and economic analyses. An assessment of the strengths and limitations of each study design, in the context also of the attributes of a particular database, and in relation to the study question being asked, should guide the ultimate study approach selected to answer the research question of interest.