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Term of the Day

Natural History Study

A natural history study is a preplanned intended to track the course of the disease. Its purpose is to identify demographic, genetic, environmental, and other variables (e.g., treatment modalities, concomitant medications) that correlate with the disease’s development and outcomes. Natural history studies are likely to include patients receiving the current standard of care and/or emergent care, which may alter some manifestations of the disease.

O

Observational Study

An observational study is a type of clinical research in which investigators assess health outcomes in groups of participants without the investigator changing the participants’ routine medical care or lifestyle. Similar to clinical trials, observational studies have a research plan or protocol created by the investigators. A registry and a natural history study  are types of observational study.