Prospective Phase IV Study — Prospective Post-Marketing Research

A prospective Phase IV study is a post-marketing investigation conducted after a drug, device, or intervention has received regulatory approval, following participants forward in real time to collect safety, effectiveness, and utilization data under routine clinical practice conditions. Unlike retrospective designs that mine existing records, prospective enrollment allows pre-specified data collection, defined follow-up windows, and direct measurement of outcomes as they occur, making it central to post-authorization safety surveillance and long-term effectiveness research.