Ann Arbor, Mich. From the Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Health System.
Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010 Dec;126(6):2234-2242. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181f44abc.
Observational studies constitute an important category of study designs. To address some investigative questions in plastic surgery, randomized controlled trials are not always indicated or ethical to conduct. Instead, observational studies may be the next best method of addressing these types of questions. Well-designed observational studies have been shown to provide results similar to those of randomized controlled trials, challenging the belief that observational studies are second rate. Cohort studies and case-control studies are two primary types of observational studies that aid in evaluating associations between diseases and exposures. In this review article, the authors describe these study designs and methodologic issues, and provide examples from the plastic surgery literature.
观察性研究是研究设计的一个重要类别。为了解决整形外科学中的一些研究问题，随机对照试验并不总是适用或合乎伦理的。相反，观察性研究可能是解决这些类型问题的下一个最佳方法。精心设计的观察性研究已被证明可以提供与随机对照试验相似的结果，这挑战了观察性研究质量较差的观点。队列研究和病例对照研究是两种主要的观察性研究类型，有助于评估疾病和暴露之间的关联。在这篇综述文章中，作者描述了这些研究设计和方法学问题，并提供了整形外科学文献中的示例。
