We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Cohort Study?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: Jan 30, 2024
Views: 9,560
Share

A cohort study is a study of a group of people over time to see how outcomes differ when people are provided with different treatments and interventions. The study can also involve following groups of people who are similar except for one lifestyle factor, such as occupation or personal habits like smoking. These studies are expensive to administer and can take years to complete, but they provide very valuable observational data.

There are a number of reasons researchers may choose to use a cohort study. Unlike case studies, where people follow up after the fact by reading through documentation on medical patients, cohort studies provide an opportunity to acquire data over time, to select for specific data of interest, and to interact with the subjects in real time. Observational studies like cohort and case studies are used when there are ethical issues with experimentation, such as in cancer treatments where it is not considered reasonable to offer some people treatment while giving a control group nothing at all.

To recruit people for a cohort study, researchers identify a topic of interest and map out the study so they can approach subjects with information about what to expect. People may be compensated for their participation in the study and generally are provided with free medical care when they need to see a doctor to contribute data to the study. The length of a cohort study is a cause for concern, as having members of the cohort drop out partway through would skew the data, and people are encouraged to think carefully before consenting to study involvement.

In addition to a cohort selected on the basis of similar characteristics, such as people with similar kinds of cancer receiving the same treatment, a control group will also be assembled. This control group contains people who are more or less identical except for a key factor. For instance, people studying the use of gamma knife surgery for brain cancer could perform a cohort study on patients who received this surgery and compare those patients with people who received more conventional treatments, to see which treatment offers the best patient outcome.

These studies usually create a mass of data that can be applied in a variety of ways. Researchers involved in a cohort study may involve other researchers if they uncover interesting information in the process of the study. The results can be published over time in trade journals, as well as being summarized at the end of the study.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGeek researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Editors' Picks

Related Articles

Discussion Comments
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.wise-geek.com/what-is-a-cohort-study.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.