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Compound Evidence InstituteEvidence synthesis · established 2023Graded assessments of compounds, trials, methods and supply
Document set current to 30 July 2026
Defined term · Trial design and conduct

Placebo-controlled

A design in which the comparator is an inert preparation matched to the intervention in appearance and administration. Matching is imperfect where the intervention produces a perceptible effect.

Document identifier
CEI-GT-038
Series
Defined term
Version
1.0
Published
30 Jul 2026
Last reviewed
30 Jul 2026
Certainty
Not rated

§1Placebo-controlled

§1.2Category

Trial design and conduct — Terms describing how a clinical study is constructed and run.

§1.3Related terms

  • Comparator — The treatment against which the intervention is compared. An effect estimate is always an estimate against a specific comparator, and no estimate is transferable to a…
  • Blinding — The withholding of knowledge of assignment from participants, investigators, outcome assessors or analysts. The Institute records who was blinded rather than describing…
Compound Evidence Institute · CEI-GT-038 · https://compoundevidence.com/glossary/placebo-controlled/ · retrieved 30 July 2026
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