What Are Some Examples of Observer Bias in Epidemiology?
Several well-documented examples illustrate the impact of observer bias in epidemiology:
- Occupational Studies: In studies examining the health effects of occupational exposures, observers who know the workers' exposure status may be more likely to report health problems among exposed workers, leading to biased estimates of risk. - Clinical Trials: In clinical trials, if the researchers know which participants received the experimental treatment, they might unconsciously assess outcomes more favorably in the treatment group. - Case-Control Studies: In case-control studies, interviewers who are aware of the participants' disease status may be more likely to probe for exposure history among cases than controls, resulting in biased exposure assessment.
