masking (study treatment) masking (study treatment)
Hiding or covering what the study treatments look like so participants cannot tell the difference.
Example of masking (study treatment) in a sentence
Masking is done so what the different study treatments look like is hidden.
More Info
Masking keeps participants and study staff from knowing which intervention a participant is assigned to and receiving.
Masking is done because knowing what each participant receives can influence or bias the results.
For example, if a study treatment is a pink liquid, and the comparator is clear, masking would cover both treatments so no one can tell the difference.
Other info to think about when joining a study
You might see the term “masking” in the consent form or used to describe how a study treatment will be covered, so you can’t tell what it looks like.
Masking is sometimes also used in place of the words “blinding” or “blinded” to describe the study design, and how participants may be kept from knowing what study treatment they are receiving. Masking helps make the study as controlled as possible and helps minimize the effect of what you hope or expect the effect to be.
Please ask any questions you have about masking or blinding and what it means in the context of the study you are joining.
