Compass is still being developed and is effectively in beta. Some content and features may be incomplete, change, or not work as expected.

Content is anchored to trusted sources where available, but Compass has not yet been clinically reviewed. It provides general information rather than medical advice.

Feedback helps us identify gaps, errors, usability problems and opportunities to improve Compass over time.

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Treatments and research

Double-blind

Neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the real treatment until the study ends.

What it means

Knowing which group somebody is in changes what they report and what researchers notice, often without anyone intending it. Keeping both sides unaware removes that. The information is held securely and can be released early if safety requires it.

Why you might hear it

  • It is part of how trial results are described in summaries.
  • It explains why nobody can tell you what you are taking during the study.

Where Compass goes into this

About this explanation

These are plain explanations of words you may come across, not advice about your own situation. Where a word matters to a decision, the question pages go into it properly, and your own team is the place to take it.