doubleblinded

A double-blind study is a type of clinical trial or experiment in which neither the participants nor the researchers interacting with them know who is receiving the active treatment and who is receiving a placebo or control. This method is employed to prevent bias that can arise from the expectations of either the participants or the researchers.

In a double-blind study, information about treatment allocation is kept secret from both groups. Participants are unaware if they are getting the actual drug or an inactive substance, which helps to mitigate the placebo effect, where a person's belief in a treatment can influence its outcome. Simultaneously, the researchers or data collectors who administer the treatment, interact with participants, or assess results do not know which group each participant belongs to. This prevents them from unconsciously influencing the outcomes through their demeanor, questioning, or interpretation of data.

The blinding is typically managed by a third party not involved in the direct care or assessment of participants. They hold the code that links participants to their assigned treatment. This code is only revealed after data collection and initial analysis are complete, allowing for an unbiased evaluation of the treatment's efficacy and safety. Double-blinding is considered a gold standard in research for its ability to produce more reliable and objective results.