Glossary

A study in which the investigators do not seek to intervene, but simply observe the course of events. There is a greater risk of selection bias than in experimental studies.

Describes a clinical trial in which masking is not used. That means that all parties involved with the trial know which participants have been assigned which interventions.

A component of a participant's clinical and functional status after an intervention has been applied, that is used to assess the effectiveness of an intervention.

Outcome measures are measurements of the effects of a treatment or service. They might include physical measurements – for example, measuring blood pressure – or psychological measurements – for example, measuring people’s sense of well-being. So if someone takes part in research, they may be asked questions, or they may be asked to have extra tests to assess how well the treatment or service has worked.

Published results from a research project. NIHR projects often generate papers that are published in the scientific literature. Full details of NIHR projects and their results are published in special reports or journals. Some projects generate briefing papers or other outputs for particular audiences.