Measurements – They'ever Exact

Measurements encompasses more than simple quantitative information such as height, weight, volume or frequency. In clinical trials, measurements refer to all the data collected on the subjects including efficacy and safety measures. It's not always clear what measurement should be used and in researching conditions such as schizophrenia, heart attack prevention, cancer, and anorexia nervosa there is a wide assortment of choices. The distinction between objectives versus subjective measurements is drawn and collecting safety data, vitally important in all clinical trials, involves both objective laboratory rests and subjective patient reports. Researchers must also decide when a measurement will be taken and whether to use surrogate and/or composite measurements. Due to the multiplicity of measurement decisions, two research teams may design very different trials and, as a result, obtain very different results.