American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

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What is a key feature of an observational study?

Intervention is manipulated by the researcher
Data is collected without any treatment manipulation
It is focused exclusively on laboratory experiments
Only retrospective data is considered

The correct answer is: Data is collected without any treatment manipulation

In an observational study, researchers collect data without manipulating or intervening in the natural course of events. This is a key feature that distinguishes observational studies from experimental studies, where researchers actively introduce an intervention or treatment to see its effect. In observational studies, the aim is to observe and analyze the relationships and outcomes as they occur in real-world settings without interference. This non-manipulative approach allows for the examination of various factors and their potential associations in a more natural context. Observational studies can be prospective (following subjects forward in time) or retrospective (looking back at existing data), but the critical aspect is that the researcher does not impose any treatment or intervention. In contrast, other options would imply aspects related to experimental designs or limitations on data collection methodologies that do not accurately represent the nature of observational studies.