The design of a study significantly impacts the ability to identify causes. Key study designs include:
- Case-Control Studies: Compare patients with a disease (cases) to those without (controls) to identify potential causes. - Cohort Studies: Follow groups of people over time to observe how different exposures affect the incidence of disease. - Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs): Randomly assign participants to exposure or control groups to directly test the effects of an intervention.
Each design has its strengths and limitations, and the choice depends on the research question and practical considerations.
