intention-to-treat analysis

Intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis is a way researchers analyze data from a clinical trial by including all participants as originally assigned, regardless of whether they completed the study or followed the treatment exactly. This approach preserves the original group assignments for fair comparison and reflects real-world scenarios where people may not perfectly follow prescribed treatments. It helps researchers understand the true effectiveness of an intervention in typical practice, accounting for factors like dropouts or non-adherence, and reduces bias in the study’s results.