Treatments and research
Eligibility criteria
The rules setting out who can and cannot join a particular study.
What it means
Written in advance, and usually covering time since diagnosis, a breathing measurement, a functional score, and which other treatments are allowed. They exist to make results interpretable, not to judge anybody, and they are the most common reason a trial is not open to someone.
Why you might hear it
- It is the first thing to check on any trial listing.
- Criteria sometimes change during a trial's life.
Related words
People who may help
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.