Clinical control group
Encyclopedia
A clinical control group is a group of individuals, involved in a healthcare experimentation, who do not receive the treatment, in order to determine the effectiveness of the drug
, supplement
or treatment being tested.
Comparing the results of a group receiving treatment with the clinical control group is essential to help rule out imagined
or random effects of the treatment. In the United States
, the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) provides some guidelines about how the groups should be selected; in general the control group and the group receiving the treatment should be as identical as possible.
If a drug is being tested, the control group will frequently be given a placebo. This is done as a double blind test, as neither the healthcare professional nor the patient know if they are receiving the drug under test or a placebo, and don't find out which substance was administered until after the experiment is concluded.
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
, supplement
Dietary supplement
A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet...
or treatment being tested.
Comparing the results of a group receiving treatment with the clinical control group is essential to help rule out imagined
Placebo
A placebo is a simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient...
or random effects of the treatment. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
(FDA) provides some guidelines about how the groups should be selected; in general the control group and the group receiving the treatment should be as identical as possible.
If a drug is being tested, the control group will frequently be given a placebo. This is done as a double blind test, as neither the healthcare professional nor the patient know if they are receiving the drug under test or a placebo, and don't find out which substance was administered until after the experiment is concluded.