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confounders

— In treatment comparisons, any factors other than the treatments being compared which may affect the health outcomes being measured


Synonyms:

confounding factors

Full explanation:

Confounding refers to differences (in prognostic factors, or concomitant treatments) between treatment comparison groups, other than the treatments being compared.

Confounding results in biased effect estimates.

For a factor to lead to confounding, it must differ between the treatment comparison groups, and affect the outcome of interest.

Example:

An example could be age for treatments that aim to improve physical mobility. Older people will tend to have lower mobility irrespective of the treatment.

See also:

comparing like with like

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