Term of the Day

Natural History Study

A natural history study is a preplanned intended to track the course of the disease. Its purpose is to identify demographic, genetic, environmental, and other variables (e.g., treatment modalities, concomitant medications) that correlate with the disease’s development and outcomes. Natural history studies are likely to include patients receiving the current standard of care and/or emergent care, which may alter some manifestations of the disease.

E

Electronic data capture (EDC)

An electronic data capture (EDC) system —also known as electronic case report form (eCRF)— is a web-based software application used to collect, clean, transfer, and process data in clinical trials.