Utmost good faith

To sum up. Randomization promotes confidence that we have acted in utmost good faith. It is not to be used as an excuse for ignoring the distribution of known prognostic factors. For a randomized trial, however, our probability calculations make an appropriate allowance for the distribution of unknown factors. 

There are five major purposes to a clinical trial protocol, which can be summarized by a mnemonic which uses the five vowels. The purposes have to do with, anticipation, ethics, inference, organization and utmost good faith. (For the purpose of discussion I shall assume that the trial protocol and case record form are used together as one single document.)... 

Utmost good faith. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Deception-free dealing. The necessary basis for fair trade. The frank and willing provision of all information relevant to an exchange. The opposite of insider dealing. A virtue which is essential to drug development. 

---