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There are a number
of advantages doing research using secondary analyses of survey
data, including:
- Generalizability
of findings;
- Timeliness
(data have already been collected); and
- Lower cost (relative
to the collection of primary data).
Large sample size and
inclusion of a large number of variables in these surveys often
provide the statistical power to assess multiple clinical and
non-clinical factors associated with functional status and symptom
severity (in cross sectional studies), and health outcomes (in
longitudinal studies). Survey data also allow the study of variation
in outcomes and experiences with care for population subgroups
(e.g. elderly, disabled, socio-economically disadvantaged), by
geography (e.g. region, urban/rural), or by delivery system characteristics
(e.g. managed care vs. fee-for-service; primary care vs. specialty
care). Longitudinal data are used to develop predictive models.
Furthermore, the investigator can derive reliable national estimates
when using surveys of nationally representative population samples.
Finally, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is, in general,
less onerous for studies using secondary data, as long as researchers
protect privacy and confidentiality.
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