Research Note: Blinding: what, why, when and how?

摘要

Blinding involves manipulating or concealing information frompeople involved in clinical research. The amount and nature of theconcealed information varies depending upon the study design andthe role that the person plays within the research. This ‘information’might be the hypothesis being evaluated, treatment or exposureunder investigation, participants’ group allocation, outcome beingassessed, tests that are evaluated, or names of the investigatorsconducting the research.