What procedures would not be included in the Treatment of Subjects section of a research protocol regarding Good Clinical Practice (GCP) certification?

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Last updated: May 30, 2025View editorial policy

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From the Guidelines

The correct answer is D. Procedures for accounting for missing, unused, and false data. The Treatment of Subjects section of a research protocol typically focuses on the actual interventions and treatments that participants will receive during the study. This section should include:

  • Medication names (option A)
  • Dosing schedules (option B)
  • Procedures for assessing treatment adherence (option C), as these all directly relate to how subjects will be treated during the research, as outlined in the SPIRIT 2013 statement 1. However, procedures for accounting for missing, unused, and false data are typically found in the Data Management or Statistical Analysis sections of a protocol, as they relate to how data will be handled after collection rather than how subjects will be treated. These data handling procedures are important for maintaining data integrity and ensuring valid results, but they are not part of the actual treatment administration to research participants, and are instead addressed in sections such as 18b and 20c of the SPIRIT 2013 statement 1. In Good Clinical Practice (GCP), it's essential to understand where different elements belong in a research protocol to ensure comprehensive and properly organized documentation.

From the Research

Treatment of Subjects Section

The Treatment of Subjects section in a research protocol typically includes information about the medications, dosing schedules, and procedures for assessing treatment adherence.

  • The names of all medications to be administered are usually included in this section, as well as the dosing schedules of all medications to be administered.
  • Procedures for assessing treatment adherence are also typically included.
  • However, procedures for accounting for missing, unused, and false data are generally discussed in the data management or statistical analysis sections of the protocol, rather than the Treatment of Subjects section.

Relevant Information

Based on the provided studies, it appears that accounting for missing data is an important aspect of research, but it is not typically included in the Treatment of Subjects section of a research protocol 2, 3, 4, 5.

  • These studies discuss various methods for handling missing data, including multiple imputation, inverse probability weighting, and double sampling 2, 3, 4.
  • However, they do not suggest that these methods should be included in the Treatment of Subjects section of a research protocol.

Correct Option

Therefore, the correct option is: D. Procedures for accounting for missing, unused, and false data. This option is not typically included in the Treatment of Subjects section of a research protocol, according to the provided studies 2, 3, 4, 5.

References

Guideline

Guideline Directed Topic Overview

Dr.Oracle Medical Advisory Board & Editors, 2025

Research

Handling missing data in survey research.

Statistical methods in medical research, 1996

Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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