THE CASE-CONTROL DESIGN IN MEDICAL-RESEAR CH

The aim of this paper is to present a conceptual and practical framewo rk of the case-control design in medical research. To illustrate this method, practical examples directed to clinicians and other health pro fesionals interested in medical research are presented. The case-contr ol method is very versatile and allows for multiple applications. Guid elines for the selection of cases and controls, and some consideration s on sample size are presented. ln the statistical analysis we use con crete examples of how to estimate odds ratios, confidence intervals, a nd methods to control for potential confounders, from stratified analy sis to logistic regresion.