Clinical trials have helped us to discover new treatments that make our lives better. Consider making an impact on health care by participating in a clinical trial.
We are fortunate to count on so many giving-hearted supporters, and we want to share some of their stories with you. We want to show you the courage, the determination, and the generosity of spirit that define their journeys with UTHealth Houston.
We are fortunate to count on so many giving-hearted supporters, and we want to share some of their stories with you. We want to show you the courage, the determination, and the generosity of spirit that define their journeys with UTHealth Houston.
It is very important that all terms used in the consent documents use very simple language that is not too technical and reads at a 6th grade reading level. The use of medicalese and legalese is strongly discouraged. Below you will find a list of technical terms and samples of simplified substitutes to be used.
acceptable: good; decent; capable acute: a quick and severe form of illness in its early stage adequate: good administer: give (to) administration (of): giving (of) adverse event/reaction: side effect AIDS: (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) a disease that affects the body’s immune system; development of the disease or conditions associated with the disease results from HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) appropriate: (the) right; correct approximately: about assess: rate the level (of health/wellness), judge (the health/wellness of) assigned: placed in (into a group) associated (with): having to do (with) asymptomatic: having no symptoms or problems at risk: having a possibility that something negative may happen audiotape: a cassette tape that is listened to
baseline: a patient’s medical status before any treatment or research is done benefit: a good effect
chronic: long lasting or long-term clinical trial: medical research study of a new drug, new use of a drug, new device, or new use of a device in human volunteers compensation: payment or gift to a research subject/volunteer conclude(d): end(ed) confidentiality: keeping all information about a research subject/volunteer private consequence: result; effect; outcome consists of: includes CPHS: (Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects) a committee which reviews medical research studies involving human subjects for safety and ethics
determine: find out (if) double blind(ed): a medical research study in which the subjects and the researchers are not told which of two or more treatments the subjects are receiving
effective: works; works well; works better (than) effectiveness: working ability efficacy: the usefulness, working ability of a type of treatment elevate: raise evaluate: rate the level (of health/wellness), judge (the health/wellness of)
fever: an increase in body temperature first degree relative: a patient’s spouse, mother, father, sister, brother, or child follow-up: returning to see the doctor at a later time
genetic: passed down from birth parents in the genes guarantee: promise hereditary a trait, condition, or disease passed down to from birth parents
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus): a life-threatening infection which you can get from an infected person’s blood or from having sex with an infected person
inclusion criteria: the characteristics a subject must have to be included in a medical research study infusion: a fluid or a medicine delivered into a vein by way of a needle inheritance: something passed down from birth parents inherited: a characteristic or condition that is passed down from birth parents initial: first interfere: get in the way of intervention: a treatment given during the course of a research study intramuscular: a fluid or a medicine delivered into a muscle by way of a needle intravenous: to put medicine or fluid into a vein by way of a needle intubate: to insert a tube into the mouth or nose to assist in breathing
long-term extension: continuation of a research study
medical record: a chart containing all of the patient’s personal information, doctor’s notes, nurse’s notes, test results, and
treatment information that may be kept by a hospital or clinic mild: not serious moderate: medium level of seriousness monitor: watch multicenter: when more than one hospital or medical school team work on a medical research study multiple dose: getting more than one dose of medicine
nausea: feeling sick to your stomach
obesity: very overweight obligated: have to; must observe: watch; look at obstruction: block, blockage obtain: get; determine occur(s): take(s) place open label: a medical research study in which subjects and researchers are told which treatments the subjects are receiving, “unblinded” oral: having to do with the mouth; to be swallowed orally: taken by mouth; to be swallowed
parallel-design: a medical research study comparing the response in two or more groups of subjects receiving different interventions (treatments) participant: person taking part participate: take part participation: taking part phase I: a medical research study using healthy volunteers; initial safety testing of a new drug phase II: a later clinical study looking at a new drug’s dosage, safety, and efficacy in patients phase III: a still later controlled, randomized study testing a specific dose of a new drug and its effectiveness in treating a condition or disease phase IV: after a drug has been approved by the FDA and is available for use; a study that looks at how well the drug is being used in the medical community placebo: an inactive substance; a “sugar pill” potentially: could be; possibly previous: other; done before principal investigator (PI): the main individual who is responsible and accountable for conducting a medical research study prior: before
randomized: like the flip of a coin; 50/50 chance of receiving a study medicine or treatment rationale: reason(ing) regarding: about remission: when a medical problem gets better or goes away at least for a while research study: a process of collecting information about a specific question in order to find an answer research subject(s): a volunteer(s) who is taking part in a medical research study risk: a possibility of injury or harm risk factor: a characteristic or actions of an individual which identify them as having a high likelihood of developing a specific disease or condition satisfactorily: (good) enough screening: the process of deciding if someone is qualified to tale part in a medical research study or not severe: very serious, life threatening side effects: unwanted or unintended problems with a drug or treatment single blind(ed): a medical research study in which the subjects are not told which of two or more treatments the subjects are receiving, but the researchers are single dose: getting one dose of medicine site (of investigation): the place where the medical research study will be carried out sponsor: the company, department, or person who is paying for the medical research study study phase: how far along the medical research study is subcutaneous: injected under the skin by way of a needle symptoms: medical problems which are noticed by a patient
temperature: how warm or cold a patient’s body is therapy: medicine or medical care given to a patient for a disease or condition thorough: complete, good tolerability: how well a patient can stand a particular medicine or treatment; ability to be used treatment: medicine or medical care given to a patient
UCRC: University Clinical Research Center utilize: use
videotape: a tape played on a VCR to watch and listen to
washout period: the time during which a patient’s body gets rid of a medicine once they stop taking it
Readability Statistics:
For those of you who are using Microsoft Word, here are the instructions for turning on the "Readability Statistics" program.
How to display readability statistics:
1) On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Spelling & Grammar tab.
2) Select the Check grammar with spelling check box.
3) Select the Show readability statistics check box, and then click OK.
4) When ready, spell check the document.
5) When Word finishes checking spelling and grammar, it displays information about the reading level of the document.
Note on the "Readability Scores":
Flesch Reading Ease score: Rates text on a 100-point scale; the higher the score, the easier it is to understand the document. ** Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score: Rates text on a U.S. grade-school level. For example, a score of 8.0 means that an eighth grader can understand the document.
Do you have a suggestion for a term or acronym that should be added to the Research Language Glossary? Please submit your suggestion to [email protected]
