An RCT (Randomized Controlled Trial) is the gold standard for testing whether a medical treatment, drug, or intervention works. It’s designed to be as fair and unbiased as possible.
Diagnostic studies evaluate the accuracy of a test (e.g., sensitivity, specificity), while prognostic studies assess disease outcomes over time (e.g., survival rates, risk factors). Here’s a structured approach using CASP, STARD (Diagnostic), or TRIPOD (Prognostic) guidelines.
Cross-sectional studies are observational research designs that analyze data from a population at a single point in time, measuring exposures and outcomes simultaneously. They are commonly used to assess prevalence, disease burden, or associations (but not causation).