Why is Propensity Score Matching Important in Epidemiology?
In epidemiology, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for establishing causal relationships. However, RCTs are not always feasible due to ethical, logistical, or financial constraints. Observational studies, which are more common, often suffer from confounding bias. Propensity Score Matching helps to balance the covariates between treated and untreated groups in observational studies, thereby providing more reliable estimates of the treatment effect.
