Page 54 - ESHRE2019

3. Blinding: Participants and personnel
If blinding considered important
Is it likely that control actually blinded participants? Consider:
• Similarity of interventions
• Side effects
• Wasblindingformallyassessed?
• Can be different for different outcomes
• Note that performance bias can still affect ‘objective’ outcomes! You may be more/less likely to have a baby due to differences in how you/ clinicians behave!
3. Blinding: Participants and personnel
LOW RISK
• Participants and personnel both blind
• Not blind, but review authors do not judge blinding to be
important (rare?)
UNCLEAR RISK
• Stated that participants/personnel were blind to allocation, but unclear how this could be achieved, or whether blinding was successful
HIGH RISK
• Not blind, or no mention of blinding and blinding unlikely and potential mechanisms by which participants and personnel could alter participants outcome
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