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.

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Treatments and research

Natural history study

A study that follows people over time without giving any treatment, to record how a condition usually unfolds.

What it means

Nothing is tested. Measurements are collected repeatedly so researchers know what the usual course looks like, which is what later trials compare against. Taking part often means the same tests you would have anyway, recorded more carefully.

Why you might hear it

  • It is often the first study someone is offered.
  • It is where much of the data behind prognosis figures comes from.

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.