Observational Comparative Research in Cardiovascular and Brain Health and Disease
Updated: May 20, 2026
- Resources for observational comparative research have rapidly expanded to include large, granular healthcare datasets and advanced analytical methods.
- Observational comparative research is a component of research that fills a distinct role different than interventional studies when evaluating drugs, surgical procedures, medical devices, and health policies.
- This scientific statement provides an overview of best practices and analytic considerations in observational comparative studies from the perspective of investigators, sponsors, publishers, and consumers of observational research and is applicable to all areas of cardiovascular, stroke and brain health research.