Exclusion criteria
The things that would prevent someone from taking part.
Learning
What it means
Exclusion criteria are characteristics that rule a person out — often other conditions, certain medicines, or previous treatments.
Why it matters if you take part
Most exclusions exist for safety, or to keep results interpretable. Being excluded from one study says nothing about others.
Related terms
This explains how clinical research works. It is not medical advice and does not describe any specific condition or treatment. Only a trial site can determine whether someone can take part in a study.