Mark,

It depends of the question (therapy/Prevention/Etiology vs Diagnosis vs Prognosis)

Cross sectional design is apparently the one which generates high level evidence for diagnostic studies. When the same design is applied to the other questions it corresponds to  a lower level observational evidence (http://www.cebm.net/mod_product/design/files/CEBM-Levels-of-Evidence-2.1.pdf )

Nik

Nik (Nikita) A. Makretsov, MD, PhD, FRCPC

MSC Evidence Based healthcare

Anatomical pathologist, St.Paul’s Hospital,

Clinical Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z1Y6

Phone (604) 682-2344 x 66038

Email: [log in to unmask]

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From: Evidence based health (EBH) [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mark Ayson
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 1:08 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: cross-sectional studies

How do we give a level of evidence to a cross-sectional study?

Mark Ayson MBChB DPH

Research Advisor, ACC
Tel (04) 816-6386 / Ext 46386
ACC / Research / Justice Centre - Level 7
PO Box 242 / Wellington 6011 / New Zealand / www.acc.co.nz

ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email
unless it is really necessary. Thank you.

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