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Clinical Research Glossary

100+ clinical research terms with ICH E6(R3) references, definitions, and examples.

100 Terms12 CategoriesICH E6(R3) Aligned
Showing 100 terms
5
1 terms
A
6 terms

Accelerated Approval

Regulatory

An FDA pathway allowing approval of drugs for serious conditions based on a surrogate endpoint or intermediate clinical endpoint reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, with post-marketing requirements to confirm the expected benefit.

Accelerated Approval PathwaySurrogate Endpoint ApprovalConditional Approval

ADaM (Analysis Data Model)

Data Management

A CDISC standard that defines the structure and content of analysis-ready datasets derived from SDTM data, supporting efficient generation of statistical analyses and displays for regulatory submissions.

Analysis Data ModelADaM DatasetsAnalysis-Ready Data+1 more

Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR)

Safety

A response to a medicinal product that is noxious and unintended, where a causal relationship between the product and the adverse event is at least a reasonable possibility.

ICH:ICH E2A Section II.A
ADRDrug ReactionSuspected Adverse Drug Reaction+1 more

Adverse Event

Safety

Any untoward medical occurrence in a patient or clinical investigation subject administered a pharmaceutical product.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) 1.2
AEAdverse ExperienceMedical Event+2 more

Audit

Quality

A systematic and independent examination of trial-related activities and documents to determine whether evaluated activities were conducted in accordance with the protocol, GCP, and applicable regulatory requirements.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 1.6
Clinical AuditQuality AuditGCP Audit+1 more

Audit Trail

Data Management

A secure, computer-generated, time-stamped electronic record that automatically captures the creation, modification, or deletion of data, including the identity of the operator and the date and time of the action.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 4.9
Electronic Audit TrailChange HistoryData Audit Trail+1 more
B
5 terms
C
12 terms

CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action)

Clinical Operations

A systematic approach to identifying, investigating, and addressing the root causes of quality problems or non-conformances, implementing corrections to resolve existing issues, and establishing preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 5.0
Corrective ActionPreventive ActionQuality Improvement+1 more

Case Report Form

Documentation

A printed, optical, or electronic document designed to record all protocol-required information on each trial subject.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) 1.11
CRFeCRFElectronic Case Report Form+2 more

Causality Assessment

Safety

The systematic evaluation of the likelihood that an adverse event was caused by the investigational product or another factor, using established criteria to determine the relationship between exposure and outcome.

ICH:ICH E2A Section II.B
Causal Relationship AssessmentRelatedness AssessmentAttribution Assessment+1 more

CDISC (Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium)

Data Management

An international nonprofit organization that develops and supports global data standards for clinical research, enabling consistent and efficient exchange of clinical trial information.

Clinical Data Interchange Standards ConsortiumCDISC StandardsCDISC Data Standards

Chain of Custody

Clinical Operations

The documented chronological history of the handling, transfer, and storage of investigational products, biological samples, or other controlled materials, establishing accountability at each step from origin to final disposition.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 5.14
Custody DocumentationMaterial TrackingSpecimen Tracking+1 more

CIOMS Form

Safety

A standardized one-page format developed by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences for reporting suspected adverse drug reactions from clinical trials to regulatory authorities.

CIOMS I FormCIOMS ReportSafety Report Form+1 more

Clinical Research Associate (CRA)

Study Conduct

A professional employed by the sponsor or contract research organization who monitors clinical trials at investigational sites to ensure protocol compliance, data quality, and participant safety.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 1.38
CRAClinical MonitorSite Monitor+1 more

Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC)

Study Conduct

A specialized research professional who works at the investigational site under the supervision of the investigator to coordinate and manage the day-to-day operational aspects of clinical trials.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 4.2
CRCStudy CoordinatorResearch Coordinator+2 more

Confidence Interval

Biostatistics

A range of values calculated from study data that is expected to contain the true treatment effect with a specified probability, typically 95%, providing information about both the estimated effect size and the precision of that estimate.

ICH:ICH E9(R1) Section 5.5
CIInterval Estimate95% CI+1 more

Contraindication

Safety

A specific situation or condition in which a drug, procedure, or treatment should not be used because it may be harmful to the patient.

Medical ContraindicationDrug ContraindicationTreatment Restriction

Control Group

Study Design

A group of participants in a clinical trial who receive a comparator treatment, placebo, or no treatment to serve as a baseline for evaluating the effects of the investigational intervention.

ICH:ICH E10
Comparator GroupReference GroupComparison Group+1 more

Crossover Study

Study Design

A clinical trial design in which participants receive multiple treatments in sequence, with each participant serving as their own control by receiving all study treatments during different periods.

ICH:ICH E9
Crossover TrialCross-Over DesignWithin-Subject Design+1 more
D
8 terms

Data Cleaning

Data Management

The process of detecting, correcting, and resolving inaccurate, incomplete, or inconsistent data in the clinical trial database to ensure data quality and reliability for analysis.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 5.5
Data ReviewData ValidationData Scrubbing+1 more

Data Integrity

Data Management

The degree to which data are complete, consistent, accurate, trustworthy, and reliable throughout the data lifecycle.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 1.15
Data QualityData ReliabilityALCOA+1 more

Database Lock

Data Management

The formal process of making the clinical trial database unmodifiable once all data have been entered, reviewed, cleaned, and verified, marking the transition from data collection to statistical analysis.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 5.5
Data LockClinical Database LockDB Lock+1 more

Dechallenge

Safety

The discontinuation or dose reduction of a suspected drug following an adverse event to observe whether the event resolves or improves, providing evidence about the causal relationship.

ICH:ICH E2A Section II.B
Drug DechallengeDrug WithdrawalPositive Dechallenge+1 more

Dose Escalation

Study Design

A systematic approach to increasing the dose of an investigational product during a clinical trial, typically employed in early-phase studies to identify safe and potentially effective dose levels.

ICH:ICH M3(R2)
Dose-FindingDose RangingDose Titration+1 more

Double-Blind Study

Study Design

A clinical trial in which both the participants and the investigators are unaware of the treatment assignments, providing maximal protection against bias in the conduct and assessment of the study.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 6.4
Double-Masked StudyDouble-Blind TrialFully Blinded Study

Drug Accountability

Clinical Operations

The system of documentation and procedures that accounts for all investigational product received at a site, dispensed to participants, returned by participants, and remaining in inventory, ensuring complete traceability throughout the trial.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 5.14
IP AccountabilityDrug ReconciliationInvestigational Product Accountability+1 more

Drug-Drug Interaction

Safety

A pharmacological phenomenon that occurs when the effect of one drug is altered by the presence of another drug, potentially leading to enhanced or diminished therapeutic effects or increased toxicity.

DDIDrug InteractionMedication Interaction+1 more
E
6 terms

eCRF (Electronic Case Report Form)

Data Management

A digital version of the case report form designed within an electronic data capture system for recording protocol-required data for each trial participant.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 1.11
Electronic Case Report FormElectronic CRFDigital CRF+1 more

EDC (Electronic Data Capture)

Data Management

A computerized system designed for the collection, management, and processing of clinical trial data in electronic format, replacing traditional paper-based data collection methods.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 4.9
Electronic Data CaptureEDC SystemClinical Data Capture System+1 more

Enrollment

Clinical Operations

The process of officially registering a qualified participant into a clinical trial after confirming eligibility and obtaining informed consent, marking the point at which the individual becomes a study subject.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 4.3
Study EnrollmentSubject RegistrationParticipant Enrollment+1 more

Essential Documents

Documentation

Documents that individually and collectively permit evaluation of the conduct of a study and the quality of the data produced.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 8
Trial Master FileTMFStudy Documentation+1 more

Expected vs Unexpected Adverse Event

Safety

A classification distinguishing adverse events whose nature, specificity, severity, or frequency is consistent with the reference safety information from those that are not previously documented or that differ in important characteristics.

ICH:ICH E2A Section II.D
Listed vs Unlisted EventExpected vs Unlisted ADRKnown vs Unknown Adverse Reaction

Expedited Reporting

Safety

The regulatory requirement to report certain serious safety findings to health authorities and ethics committees within specified short timeframes, typically within seven to fifteen calendar days of becoming aware of the event.

ICH:ICH E2A Section III
Expedited Safety ReportingUrgent Safety ReportingAccelerated Reporting+1 more
F
2 terms
G
1 terms
H
1 terms
I
11 terms

IDE (Investigational Device Exemption)

Regulatory

An FDA approval that allows an investigational medical device to be used in a clinical study to collect safety and effectiveness data required to support a premarket approval application or 510(k) submission.

Investigational Device ExemptionIDE ApplicationDevice Clinical Trial Authorization

IND (Investigational New Drug)

Regulatory

An application submitted to the FDA requesting permission to administer an investigational drug or biological product to humans in clinical trials in the United States.

IND ApplicationInvestigational New Drug ApplicationClinical Trial Authorization (CTA)

Independent Ethics Committee (IEC)

Ethics

An independent body constituted of medical/scientific professionals and non-medical/non-scientific members whose responsibility is to ensure the protection of the rights, safety, and well-being of human subjects involved in a trial.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 1.27
IECEthics CommitteeResearch Ethics Committee+2 more

Informed Consent

Ethics

A process by which a subject voluntarily confirms willingness to participate in a clinical trial after being informed of all aspects relevant to the decision.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) 1.28
ICICFInformed Consent Form+3 more

Inspection

Regulatory

An official review of documents, facilities, records, and other resources by regulatory authorities to assess compliance with applicable regulations, standards, and guidelines.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 1.29
Regulatory InspectionFDA InspectionGCP Inspection+1 more

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Ethics

An independent body constituted of medical, scientific, and non-scientific members whose responsibility is to ensure protection of the rights, safety, and well-being of human subjects involved in research.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 1.31
IRBEthics CommitteeHuman Subjects Committee+1 more

Intent-to-Treat (ITT) Analysis

Biostatistics

A statistical analysis strategy that includes all randomized participants in the groups to which they were originally assigned, regardless of whether they completed the study treatment or adhered to the protocol.

ICH:ICH E9(R1) Section 5.2
ITTIntention-to-TreatFull Analysis Set+1 more

Interim Analysis

Biostatistics

A planned statistical analysis conducted before all participants have completed the study, typically to evaluate accumulating data for evidence of efficacy, futility, or safety concerns that might warrant early termination of the trial.

ICH:ICH E9(R1) Section 4.5
Interim ReviewPlanned AnalysisSequential Analysis+1 more

Investigator

Personnel

A person responsible for the conduct of the clinical trial at a trial site.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) 1.34
PIPrincipal InvestigatorSite Investigator+3 more

Investigator's Brochure (IB)

Documentation

A compilation of the clinical and nonclinical data on the investigational product that are relevant to the study of the product in human subjects.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 1.36
IBBrochureProduct Brochure+1 more

IWRS/IRT (Interactive Web/Voice Response System)

Clinical Operations

A computerized system used in clinical trials to manage randomization, treatment allocation, drug supply, and participant status through interactive web-based or telephone interfaces.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 5.13
IRTIWRSIVRS+2 more
M
5 terms
N
1 terms
O
2 terms
P
15 terms

P-Value

Biostatistics

The probability of obtaining results at least as extreme as those observed in the study, assuming that the null hypothesis of no treatment effect is true.

ICH:ICH E9(R1) Section 5.7
Probability ValueSignificance LevelP+1 more

Parallel Study

Study Design

A clinical trial design in which participants are randomized to receive one treatment throughout the study, with different groups receiving different treatments simultaneously.

ICH:ICH E9
Parallel-Group DesignParallel-Arm StudyBetween-Subject Design+1 more

Patient Recruitment

Clinical Operations

The activities and strategies employed to identify, attract, and screen potential participants for enrollment in a clinical trial, encompassing advertising, physician referrals, database searches, and community outreach.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 4.4
Subject RecruitmentParticipant RecruitmentStudy Recruitment+1 more

Per-Protocol Analysis

Biostatistics

A statistical analysis that includes only participants who completed the study according to protocol requirements, without major protocol violations, adequate treatment exposure, and complete outcome assessments.

ICH:ICH E9(R1) Section 5.2
PP AnalysisEvaluable PopulationCompleter Analysis+1 more

Periodic Safety Update Report (PSUR)

Safety

A comprehensive, periodic assessment of the benefit-risk balance of a medicinal product, submitted to regulatory authorities at defined intervals throughout its lifecycle.

ICH:ICH E2C(R2)
PSURPeriodic Benefit-Risk Evaluation ReportPBRER+2 more

Pharmacodynamics (PD)

Study Design

The study of how a drug affects the body, including its mechanism of action, biochemical and physiological effects, and the relationship between drug concentration and effect.

ICH:ICH E4
PDClinical PharmacodynamicsDrug Dynamics+1 more

Pharmacokinetics (PK)

Study Design

The study of how the body affects a drug, encompassing the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of the substance over time.

ICH:ICH E4
PKClinical PharmacokineticsDrug Kinetics+1 more

Pharmacovigilance

Safety

The science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problems.

ICH:ICH E2E
Drug SafetyDrug Safety SurveillancePV+1 more

Placebo

Study Design

An inactive substance or treatment that is designed to appear identical to the investigational product but contains no therapeutic ingredients.

Inactive ControlDummy TreatmentSham Treatment

Primary Endpoint vs Secondary Endpoint

Biostatistics

The primary endpoint is the main outcome measure used to evaluate whether the treatment hypothesis is supported and forms the basis for regulatory approval decisions, while secondary endpoints provide supportive evidence and characterize additional treatment effects.

ICH:ICH E9(R1) Section 2.2
Primary OutcomeSecondary OutcomePrimary Variable+1 more

Priority Review

Regulatory

An FDA program that shortens the target time for reviewing a marketing application from the standard ten months to six months for drugs that offer significant improvements in safety or effectiveness for serious conditions.

Priority Review DesignationExpedited ReviewFast Review

Protocol

Documentation

A document that describes the objectives, design, methodology, statistical considerations, and organization of a clinical trial.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) 1.44
Study ProtocolClinical Trial ProtocolResearch Protocol+2 more

Protocol Amendment

Documentation

A written description of a change or formal clarification to a protocol that must be approved by the sponsor, IRB/IEC, and regulatory authorities before implementation.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 1.43
Protocol ModificationProtocol ChangeStudy Amendment+1 more

Protocol Deviation

Study Conduct

Any change, divergence, or departure from the study design or procedures defined in the protocol that is not implemented through a formal protocol amendment.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 4.5
Protocol ViolationProtocol Non-ComplianceProtocol Breach+1 more

Protocol Violation vs Deviation

Clinical Operations

Protocol deviations are departures from the approved protocol that may or may not impact participant safety or data integrity, while protocol violations are a subset of deviations that significantly impact participant safety, data quality, or scientific validity of the trial.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 4.5
Protocol Non-ComplianceGCP DeviationStudy Deviation+1 more
Q
4 terms
R
4 terms
S
15 terms

Safety Signal

Safety

Information from one or multiple sources that suggests a new potentially causal association, or a new aspect of a known association, between an intervention and an adverse event or set of related adverse events.

ICH:ICH E2E Section II.A
Drug Safety SignalPharmacovigilance SignalRisk Signal+1 more

Sample Size Calculation

Biostatistics

The statistical determination of the number of participants required for a clinical trial to have adequate statistical power to detect a clinically meaningful treatment effect, accounting for expected variability, desired significance level, and anticipated dropout rates.

ICH:ICH E9(R1) Section 3.5
Power CalculationSample Size DeterminationPower Analysis+1 more

Screen Failure

Clinical Operations

A potential participant who undergoes screening procedures but is determined to be ineligible for enrollment in the clinical trial based on the protocol-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 4.4
Screening FailureFailed ScreenIneligible Subject+1 more

SDTM (Study Data Tabulation Model)

Data Management

A CDISC standard that defines the structure, content, and organization of clinical trial data submitted to regulatory authorities, establishing domains for different types of observations and standardized variable names and formats.

Study Data Tabulation ModelSDTM FormatSDTM Datasets+1 more

Serious Adverse Event

Safety

Any adverse event that results in death, is life-threatening, requires hospitalization, results in disability, or is a congenital anomaly.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) 1.50
SAESerious Adverse ExperienceSerious Medical Event+2 more

Single-Blind Study

Study Design

A clinical trial in which participants are unaware of their treatment assignment, but the investigators and study personnel know which treatment each participant is receiving.

Single-Masked StudyParticipant-Blind StudySubject-Blind Trial

Site Selection

Clinical Operations

The process of identifying, evaluating, and choosing investigational sites to participate in a clinical trial based on their capability to conduct the study according to the protocol, GCP requirements, and regulatory standards.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 5.5
Site IdentificationInvestigator SelectionSite Qualification+1 more

Source Document

Documentation

Original documents, data, and records from which a subject's clinical trial data are obtained, including hospital records, clinical and office charts, laboratory notes, memoranda, pharmacy records, and patient diaries.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 1.52
Source DataSource RecordsOriginal Documents+1 more

Source Document Verification (SDV)

Quality

A process of comparing data collected in the case report form against source documents to confirm that the data were transcribed accurately and completely.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 5.18
SDVData VerificationSource Data Verification

Source Documents

Documentation

Original documents, data, and records where clinical trial data are first recorded.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) 1.52
Source DataSource RecordsOriginal Documents+2 more

Sponsor

Personnel

An individual, company, institution, or organization that takes responsibility for the initiation, management, and/or financing of a clinical trial.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) 1.53
Study SponsorTrial SponsorClinical Trial Sponsor+2 more

Statistical Power

Biostatistics

The probability that a statistical test will correctly reject a false null hypothesis, representing the likelihood of detecting a true treatment effect when one actually exists.

ICH:ICH E9(R1) Section 3.5
PowerTest PowerStatistical Sensitivity+1 more

Study Close-Out

Clinical Operations

The series of activities conducted at the conclusion of a clinical trial or site participation to ensure all regulatory requirements are met, documentation is complete, investigational products are reconciled and returned, and the trial file is inspection-ready.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 5.21
Study TerminationSite Close-OutTrial Completion+1 more

Subject/Participant

Study Conduct

An individual who participates in a clinical trial, either as a recipient of the investigational product or as a control.

ICH:ICH E6(R3) Section 1.57
Trial SubjectStudy ParticipantResearch Subject+2 more

SUSAR (Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse Reaction)

Safety

A serious adverse reaction to an investigational medicinal product that is both suspected to be related to the product and is unexpected based on the reference safety information.

ICH:ICH E2A Section II.C
Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse ReactionUnexpected SARUSAR
T
1 terms