Clinical research methods for treatment, diagnosis, prognosis, etiology, screening, and prevention: A narrative review

• Published in: Journal of evidence-based medicine 2020-05, Vol.13 (2), p.130-136
• Main Authors: Yao, Xiaomei, Florez, Ivan D., Zhang, Ping, Zhang, Chongfan, Zhang, Yi, Wang, Chunxue, Liu, Xiaofang, Nie, Xiuhong, Wei, Bing, Ghert, Michelle A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: clinical research methods; Clinical trials; Content analysis; diagnosis; Disease prevention; Etiology; literature search; Medical diagnosis; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Medical screening; Medical treatment; Preventive medicine; prognosis; Research methodology; Systematic review; treatment
• ISSN: 1756-5391; 1756-5383; 1756-5391
• DOI: 10.1111/jebm.12384

This narrative review is an introduction for health professionals on how to conduct and report clinical research on six categories: treatment, diagnosis/differential diagnosis, prognosis, etiology, screening, and prevention. The importance of beginning with an appropriate clinical question and the exploration of how appropriate it is through a literature search are explained. There are three methodological directives that can assist clinicians in conducting their studies from a methodological perspective: (1) how to conduct an original study or a systematic review, (2) how to report an original study or a systematic review, and (3) how to assess the quality or risk of bias for a previous relevant original study or systematic review. This methodological overview article would provide readers with the key points and resources regarding how to perform high‐quality research on the six main clinical categories.