Advantages
Retrospective cohort studies, do have distinct advantages as well when compared with prospective cohort studies, including the smaller scale which retrospective studies often entail. Another key benefit of retrospective cohort studies is that they typically require less time to complete. Another chief advantage is that retrospective studies are better for analysing multiple outcomes. And one of the biggest benefits to a retrospective study in a medical context is its ability to address rare diseases, which would necessitate extremely large cohorts in prospective studies. In such a study, diseased people have already been identified, so retrospective studies are especially helpful in addressing diseases of low incidence. The fact that retrospective studies are generally less expensive than prospective studies also can be a key benefit. These studies tend to be less expensive in part because outcome and exposure have already occurred, and the resources are mainly directed at collection of data only. Additionally, it has essentially all the benefits of a Cohort Study (Statistics)
Read more about this topic: Retrospective Cohort Study
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