Randomized clinical trials and related concepts in clinical research.

Abstract

Clinical research is a key factor in healthcare progress, as it contributes toward improving our knowledge on the prevention, etiology, and treatment of different conditions. Healthcare professionals and researchers should be familiar with this specific terminology and procedures of clinical research to understand and be able to evaluate clinical trial results and make decisions using up-to-date recommendations. To do so, they must be familiar with different methodological aspects: from establishing the type of design, the study population, and the groups to be studied, to understanding the randomization and blinding processes. Additionally, when it comes to communicating the results and publishing them, it is also necessary to know how to do it adequately to ensure transparency. This work includes a description of different concepts commonly used in clinical research, particularly in the clinical trials field, in an attempt to compile different topics by providing a brief and accessible overview.