What does single-blind mean in a clinical study?

Single-blind in a clinical study refers specifically to the scenario where only the participants are unaware of which treatment they are receiving while the clinicians or researchers conducting the study are aware of this information. This design is utilized to minimize the potential for bias from the participants' perceptions or self-reporting, as their knowledge of the treatment might influence their behavior or responses. When participants do not know whether they are receiving the experimental treatment or a placebo, it helps ensure that any differences observed in outcomes can be more confidently attributed to the treatment itself rather than participants' expectations or psychological influences.

The distinction here is important; in this context, "blinded" means removing knowledge that could influence response, thus reducing bias and enhancing the validity of the study results. Conversely, if both participants and clinicians are blinded, this would be referred to as double-blind. In situations where no blinding occurs, the risk of bias is increased, potentially affecting the outcome's validity. Therefore, the correct association with single-blind studies is the blinding of only the participants.