Cross-sectional studies

Cross-sectional studies, unlike cohort and case control studies, boil down to analyzing the occurrence of a specific disease (and its size) within a given population at a single, precisely defined point in time – they provide a general “picture” of a given populations health status at the time of the study.

Application of cross-sectional studies

Cross-sectional studies:

• Allow the assessment of the health status of a population (e.g. the percentage of people with a given ailment);
• Allow comparison of factors determining the incidence of a given disease in two distinct groups: exposed and not exposed to the disease;
• Help develop an assessment of the need for medical care among members of the study population;

They facilitate the measurement of the prevalence of the disease phenomena in question.

Methodology of cross-sectional studies

Cross-sectional studies are usually done through questionnaires or interviews, conducted with the respondents or their families. In addition, the knowledge gained is further enhanced by reviewing the history of the disease or the results of additional medical research performed to gain further knowledge.

Expected benefits

Cross-sectional studies are considered as the most convenient of the basics steps that lead to finding the cause of morbidity within a population – because of this, they are widely used in public health analyses. The most important advantages of this type of study are:

• Parallel measurement of several potential causal factors,
• Simultaneous assessment of exposure risk factors and health status,
• Simple scheme of measurement, cost effective research methods,
• Relatively short waiting time for the final results of the observation,
• Representative of the general population,
• Possibility to generate research hypotheses.

Why should you outsource your cross-sectional studies to us?

As an experienced participant in the medical research market, we provide a professional implementation of in-depth cross-sectional studies and analyses. We encourage you to contact us for details of possible cooperation.

Cohort studies

Cohort studies are a type of prospective observational study, the implementation of which is justified especially if it is impossible to perform clinical measurements for ethical reasons

Application of cohort studies:

Cohort studies are conducted long term to verify the occurrence of certain medical phenomena such as:

• Diseases, and medical events related to them;
• Positive and undesirable effects of drugs and other medicinal products;
• Health status of inhabitants of a given area.

Observational cohort studies also provide the potential for causal analysis of exposure to a variety of risk factors (e.g. smoking, drug use, diet, etc.). The results of the study allow to determine the relative risk, for example, by comparing the risk of developing a cardiovascular disease in people on a high fat or vegetarian diet.

Depending on the purpose of the research, we forecast the risk based on the following data:

• Incidence
• Mortality rate
• Simultaneous incidence of other diseases;
• Results of cyclic laboratory measurements (blood, urine, feces, x-ray, USG, etc.);
• Various types of socio-demographic variables (age, sex, place of residence etc.);
• Predispositions to the disease.

Methodology of cohort studies

Cohort studies are non-interventional in nature, which means that any action likely to trigger a specific effect on the members of the observed cohort should be avoided. It should only be limited to cyclical observation and collection of data obtained within it.

Before starting the study, we define in detail:

• Characteristics of cohort members – according to pre-determined research goals;
• Length of observation;
• Exposure factors;
• Procedures for verifying the results of the final events;
• Assumed representativeness.

We also verify whether a medical event (e.g. incidence) has not occurred during recruitment or before it. Such cases are excluded from the study.

Types of cohort studies

Our company realizes cohort studies of controlled and uncontrolled nature. For controlled measurements, each person in the cohort is exposed to the same risk factor or medical product. On the other hand, uncontrolled observational studies assume the division of the cohort into at least two groups that are affected by different factors. We conduct research on both closed and open (dynamic) cohorts.

Expected benefits

Cohort studies enable proper health policy planning, based on the obtained results. They also allow for reliable verification of the effectiveness of medicinal products, and their adverse effects. This type of observational study, unlike clinical trials, does not raise any ethical concerns.

Why we are the best choice when you need to commission a cohort study.

Our company has been active in the medical research market for over 12 years, so we are able to guarantee the implementation of highest possible quality cohort studies that support all of the latest methodological standards. We encourage you to contact us for details of possible cooperation.