What is blinding in an experimental study?

Blinding, in research, refers to a practice where study participants are prevented from knowing certain information that may somehow influence them—thereby tainting the results. This blinding can include clinicians, data collectors, outcome assessors and data analysts.

What is the purpose of blinding an experiment?

Blinding aims to reduce the risk of bias that can be caused by an awareness of group assignment. With blinding, outcomes can be attributed to the intervention itself and not influenced by behaviour or assessment of outcomes that can result purely from knowledge of group allocation.

Does blinding reduce bias?

Until today, influence of detection and performance bias in general and abdominal surgery RCT is unexplored. The objective of the planned systematic review and empirical study is to investigate actual impact on outcomes and future potential of blinding in general and abdominal surgery RCT.

Does blinding prevent bias?

Blinding aims to reduce the risk of bias that can be caused by an awareness of group assignment. With blinding, out- comes can be attributed to the intervention itself and not influenced by behaviour or assessment of outcomes that can result purely from knowledge of group allocation. Blinding is not a simple procedure.

Is blinding necessary in clinical trials?

Blinding is an important methodologic feature of RCTs to minimize bias and maximize the validity of the results. Researchers should strive to blind participants, surgeons, other practitioners, data collectors, outcome adjudicators, data analysts and any other individuals involved in the trial.

What is blinding and what is its purpose?

Blinding is used to prevent conscious or unconscious bias in the design of a clinical trial and how it is carried out. This is important because bias can affect recruitment and allocation, care, attitudes, assessments, etc.

What is blinding of outcome assessors?

Blinding of outcome assessors reduces detection bias. Outcome assessors (study nurses or investigators) who are aware of the actual treatment may unconsciously or intentionally alter their assessment. Particularly, in case of soft endpoints, e.g. pain blinding of outcome assessors is important.

What kind of bias does blinding prevent?

performance bias
Blinding of participants and personnel reduces performance bias. A patient or practitioner who trusts in the effect of a specific intervention may unconsciously or intentionally perceive or detect an enhanced treatment effect [4].

How do you do blinding in research?

One of the most common methods of blinding in RCTs is the use of seemingly identical medications; one ‘active’ pill and one ‘placebo’ pill. As they are physically identical, it is impossible for patients and researchers to discern which pill is the active one based on appearance alone.

Why is blinding of outcome assessors important?

Can blinding be used in qualitative studies?

Blinding is used in qualitative studies.