The Open Allergy Journal
2014, 7 : 1-9Published online 2014 September 8. DOI: 10.2174/1874838401407010001
Publisher ID: TOALLJ-7-1
Evidence-based Medicine and Clinical Study Designs: Examples of Applications for Allergy Research
Center for Medical Research Methodology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej
3B, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
ABSTRACT
Evidence of the effect of clinical interventions in allergology, and in medicine as a whole, can be hierarchically grouped based on the research design producing the evidence. The most weight is given to systematic reviews and metaanalyses, and to randomised controlled trials. These trial designs are superior to non-randomised controlled trials and cohort studies, which in turn are superior to case-control studies. The least weight is given to case-studies and anecdotal evidence. Herein, the principles of evidence-based medicine and clinical study designs are reviewed in the context of examples from the allergology literature.