intention-to-treat
UK[ɪnˈtɛnʃ(ə)n tə ˈtriːt]US[ɪnˈtɛnʃ(ə)n tə ˈtriːt]
adj
relating to or denoting a principle for analyzing data in a clinical trial, where all participants are included in the statistical analysis according to the group to which they were originally assigned, regardless of whether they completed the treatment or adhered to the protocol.
Etymology
the term "intention-to-treat" is a modern coinage specific to the methodology of clinical research and statistics. it is constructed from common english words: "intention," from latin intentionem (a stretching out, purpose), "to," and "treat," from latin tractare (to handle, manage). the phrase was lexicalized into a hyphenated compound adjective to name a specific analytical principle. its logic is literal yet technical: analysis proceeds according to the original intention (the planned group assignment) to treat a participant, thereby preserving the randomization's integrity and providing a pragmatic estimate of treatment effectiveness in real-world conditions.
Analysis
this is a fixed compound adjective formed from a noun phrase ("intention to treat"). it is not segmentable into smaller, independent morphemes without losing its specific, idiomatic meaning as a single statistical concept.
Examples
the study reported its primary outcome based on an intention-to-treat analysis.
researchers must pre-specify whether they will use an intention-to-treat or per-protocol approach.
the intention-to-treat principle helps prevent bias that can arise from excluding non-compliant patients.