Talavera JO

Language: Spanish
References: 15
Page: 53-58
PDF size: 45.92 Kb.

ABSTRACT

The endeavor of clinical research to study a group of patients is to make a diagnosis, estimate the prognosis and prove a treatment. For this purpose it is used the scientific method: 1) the architectural arrangement, which can be divided in cause-effect and the process of research; 2) the methodological approach, it includes the controlled clinical trials, cohorts, case control, and cross-sectional designs; 3) the goal-oriented approach, in which the studies on diagnostic tests, prognosis, treatment and risk or causal factors are grouped. The designs above mentioned are considered primary studies; it means that the information was obtained directly from the subjects studied. There is a second category of studies, which uses information obtained from the primary studies. This is the reason why they are considered as secondary or integrative studies.

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