Glossary of clinical trial terms
Some of the words and terms related to clinical trials may not be familiar to you. Use our simplified guide to common clinical trial terms to help understand the educational materials on this website. You can also save this list to use in conversations you have with your healthcare providers or clinical trial team.
Terms listed alphabetically
Unfavorable change in a person’s health
Group of participants in a clinical trial
Time point when an eligible clinical trial participant’s health status is first measured
U.S. government website that lists clinical trials
Medication taken in addition to the intervention/treatment given in a clinical trial
Clinical trial participants receiving a standard treatment or placebo rather than the potential treatment being studied
Clinical trial that includes a control group
Independent group that monitors the safety and scientific integrity of a clinical trial
Clinical trial where participants and the trial team don’t know which intervention/treatment is randomly assigned to each participant
Ability of a potential treatment to produce a desired effect
Requirements that clinical trial participants must meet (inclusion criteria) or not meet (exclusion criteria)
Eligibility criteria that state the characteristics a clinical trial participant must not have
Set of guidelines for designing and running a clinical trial to make sure results are helpful and participants are protected
Person in a clinical trial who does not have known health problems
Eligibility criteria that state the characteristics a clinical trial participant must have
Process followed by a clinical trial team to make sure potential participants know what will happen if they join a trial
Document that provides details about a clinical trial, such as its purpose, length, procedures, risks, and potential benefits
Person who receives treatment and stays in a medical facility overnight
Independent group that ensures the rights, safety, and well-being of clinical trial participants are protected
Drug, medical device, procedure, vaccine, or change in behavior tested in a clinical trial
Drug being studied to see if a person’s health improves while taking it
Researcher or healthcare provider who works on a clinical trial
U.S. government agency whose role is to protect people in government-funded clinical trials
Clinical trial where the trial team and participants know which intervention/treatment is given
Person who receives treatment but does not stay in a medical facility overnight
Person in a clinical trial who has a known health problem
Study of how the body processes a drug
Stage of a clinical trial
Treatment or procedure that does not have any true physical effects
Data from tests done in a laboratory before testing can be done in people
Researcher or healthcare provider who leads a clinical trial
Written plan that describes all parts of a clinical trial
Process of assigning participants to clinical trial groups by chance
Process that determines if a person is eligible to participate in a clinical trial
Company, organization, or person that initiates and controls a clinical trial
Most commonly used and best available treatment for a disease or health condition
Safety criteria that would either pause or stop a clinical trial
Person who handles day-to-day responsibilities of a clinical trial for a trial site
Plan for conducting a clinical trial
Sources
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