Descriptive Studies

Question 1

What are the Different Types of Descriptive Studies?

Answer 1

• Case Reports
• Case Series
• Ecologic Studies
• Cross-sectional studies

Question 2

What are the different type of Analysis Studies?

Answer 2

• Case-control
• Cohort Study

Question 3

What is the Evidence Period for studies:

Answer 3

Question 4

Case Report

Answer 4

• Study of one person

Question 5

Case Report: Advantages vs Disadvantages

Answer 5

• Advantages:
  
  • Recognize & Describe:
    
    • new diseases
    • new manifestations of old disease
    • Drug Side Effects
    • Disease Mechanism
  • Develop Hypothesis
• Disadvantages:
  
  • no control group
    
    • so can’t be used for hypothesis testing

Question 6

Case Series

Answer 6

• All subjects w/same disease

Question 7

Case Series: Advantages vs Disadvantages

Answer 7

• Advantages:
  
  • data on disease characteristics
• Disadvantages:
  
  • no control group
    
    • so cant be used for hypothesis testing

Question 8

Ecological Study

Answer 8

• aka Correlational study
  *

Question 9

Cross-Sectional Studies

Answer 9

• Measures exposure prevalence vs disease prevalence @ one point in time (snap shot)
• measured in the same individual
• Individual level data

Question 10

Cross-Sectional Studies: Advantages vs Disadvantages

Answer 10

• Advantages:
  
  • quick & inexpensive
  • use available data
  • assess prevalence
  • good for early stage of knowledge
  • Public Health planning
  • Individual level data
• Disadvantages:
  
  • unclear temporal relationship
  • no control for confounding factors
  • prevalent cases are a problem on etiology:
    
    • if exposure impacts duration

Question 11

Purpose of Descriptive Studies

Answer 11

• communicate important observations
• alert medical community to new health problems or unusual cases
• generate hypothesis
• essential first step for analytical studies
• Can’t determine how valid an association is