TY - JOUR
T1 - Study methodology in trauma care
T2 - towards question-based study designs
AU - Houwert, Roderick M.
AU - Beks, Reinier B.
AU - Dijkgraaf, Marcel G.W.
AU - Roes, Kit C.B.
AU - Öner, F. Cumhur
AU - Hietbrink, Falco
AU - Leenen, Luke P.H.
AU - Groenwold, Rolf H.H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/4
Y1 - 2021/4
N2 - The randomized controlled trial (RCT) in surgery may not always be ethical, feasible, or necessary to address a particular research question about the effect of a surgical intervention. If so, properly designed and conducted observational (non-randomized) studies may be valuable alternatives for an RCT and produce credible results. In this paper, we discus differences between RCTs and observational studies and differentiate between three types of comparisons of surgical interventions. We assert that results of different designs should be regarded as complementary to each other when evaluating surgical interventions. Criteria for credible observational research are presented to provide guidance for future observational research of surgical interventions. We argue that the research question that is being asked should guide the discussion about the value of a particular study design.
AB - The randomized controlled trial (RCT) in surgery may not always be ethical, feasible, or necessary to address a particular research question about the effect of a surgical intervention. If so, properly designed and conducted observational (non-randomized) studies may be valuable alternatives for an RCT and produce credible results. In this paper, we discus differences between RCTs and observational studies and differentiate between three types of comparisons of surgical interventions. We assert that results of different designs should be regarded as complementary to each other when evaluating surgical interventions. Criteria for credible observational research are presented to provide guidance for future observational research of surgical interventions. We argue that the research question that is being asked should guide the discussion about the value of a particular study design.
KW - Emergency Medical Services
KW - Humans
KW - Research Design
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074644276&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00068-019-01248-5
DO - 10.1007/s00068-019-01248-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 31664467
AN - SCOPUS:85074644276
SN - 1863-9933
VL - 47
SP - 479
EP - 484
JO - European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery
JF - European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery
IS - 2
ER -