LI Jianfeng, ZHANG Jingyi, LI Likang, LIU Yingxin, LI Guowei. Approach to Handling Missing Data in Clinical Trials[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2024, 15(5): 1165-1172. DOI: 10.12290/xhyxzz.2023-0415
Citation: LI Jianfeng, ZHANG Jingyi, LI Likang, LIU Yingxin, LI Guowei. Approach to Handling Missing Data in Clinical Trials[J]. Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 2024, 15(5): 1165-1172. DOI: 10.12290/xhyxzz.2023-0415

Approach to Handling Missing Data in Clinical Trials

Funds: 

Science and Technology Projects in Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 202002030252

More Information
  • Corresponding author:

    LIU Yingxin, E-mail: liuyingxin0630@126.com

    LI Guowei, E-mail: ligw@gd2h.org.cn

  • Received Date: September 03, 2023
  • Accepted Date: December 05, 2023
  • Available Online: December 27, 2023
  • Publish Date: December 27, 2023
  • Issue Publish Date: September 29, 2024
  • Missing data, occurring in clinical trials due to various reasons, will cause information loss of the original data and reduce the robustness and validity of the research results. Therefore, missing data should be dealt with caution in clinical trials. This article introduces the causes and types of missing data, as well as several common methodological approaches to addressing the problem, in order to promote researchers' understanding and improve the quality of handling missing data in trials. Nevertheless, the best way to deal with missing data is to prevent or reduce data loss in clinical trials, rather than relying on post hoc statistical analyses.

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