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Naturalistic Observations

Naturalistic Observations

If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...

Observational Studies

Observational Studies

Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...

Data Collection by Observations

Data Collection by Observations

Data collection refers to a systematic way of obtaining, observing, measuring, and analyzing accurate information. Observational studies are one of the most widely used methods of data collection. It involves collecting data by observing the behavior and physical characteristics of a sample without making any modifications to the sample.
An astronomer viewing the motion and brightness of stars in the sky and recording the data is an example of observational data collection. A botanist recording...

Blind Procedures

Blind Procedures

Ideally, the people who observe and record the children’s behavior are unaware of who was assigned to the experimental or control group, in order to control for experimenter bias. Experimenter bias refers to the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study. Remember, conducting an experiment requires a lot of planning, and the people involved in the research project have a vested interest in supporting their hypotheses. If the observers knew which child was...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools

Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools

Published on: June 20, 2020

Effectiveness of a multipurpose observation unit: before and after study.

P Iannone¹, T Lenzi

¹Ospedale Civile S.M. della Scaletta, via Montericco 4, Imola, Bologna, Italy. primiann@libero.it

Emergency Medicine Journal : EMJ

|May 26, 2009

Summary

Implementing structured clinical pathways in short observation units (SOUs) significantly improved emergency department (ED) efficiency and patient outcomes. This enhanced SOU organization reduced resource use and ED return visits, demonstrating clear benefits.

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Area of Science:

Emergency Medicine
Healthcare Management
Clinical Operations

Background:

The clinical effectiveness of multipurpose observation units remains under-assessed in comparative studies.
A need exists to evaluate the impact of structured protocols on short observation unit (SOU) performance.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the effects of implementing clear admission criteria, clinical pathways, and time limits on SOU performance.
To assess the impact of enhanced clinical supervision and dedicated staffing within an SOU.

Main Methods:

A comparative study measured SOU utilization, observation length, resource consumption (diagnostics, consultations), hospitalization rates, and adverse events.
Data from January 1 to March 26, 2007, were compared to control patients from the same period in 2006.
Emergency department (ED) re-attendance rates within 3 months post-discharge were analyzed.

Main Results:

SOU admissions from the ED increased (8.8% vs 4.5%), with a reduced length of stay (13.8 vs 23.0 hours).
Hospitalization rates remained stable, while consultations and radiological investigations decreased significantly.
Post-discharge ED return visits (all causes: 16.3% vs 27.2%) and subsequent hospitalizations (all causes: 1.7% vs 4.3%) were reduced.

Conclusions:

Optimized organization and standardized clinical pathways in short observation units (SOUs) yield significant benefits.
Brief emergency department observation, when properly managed, improves patient flow and resource utilization.
The study highlights the value of structured approaches in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of observation units.