Baseline patient characteristics: who are the participants in the trial?

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  • What does it mean?
Baseline data is information collected  at the beginning of the trial, before any treatment starts. It is usually a patient symptom or characteristic (for example, age, gender, pain, blood pressure).

  • An example
Before the toothpaste trial starts, Emma has to fill out a form. That form asks her about her age, gender, and self-care dental habits. Emma's information, along with all the other patients in the trial, is then summarised and presented. This helps confirm patients in the toothpaste A group are similar to those in the toothpaste B. It also allows us to understand who are the participants in the trial, and how similar are they to the general population or the population needing a toothpaste treatment.

  • How can patients get involved?
Before a trial starts, and at the design and protocol stage, patients can be involved in deciding what is measured before the treatment starts. During the trial, patients can help statisticians and other researchers decide the best way to summarise and present information related to baseline data.

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