How are participant identities handled in publications of trial results?

• A. Participant identity remains confidential and records are not publicly available.
• B. Participant identities are published with the trial results.
• C. Records identifying participants are publicly available with consent.
• D. Only aggregated data is released without confidentiality safeguards.

Answer: (A)

Participant privacy is upheld by keeping identities confidential in publications; only de-identified or aggregated data are shared, and records with identifying details are not made publicly accessible. This protects participants from being recognized and aligns with ethical and regulatory requirements that emphasize confidentiality in trial reporting.

Publishing identifiable information would breach confidentiality and consent norms. Even with consent, standard practice is to minimize identifiability in public reports to prevent potential harm. Releasing records identifying participants publicly would introduce unnecessary risk, and stating that data are released without confidentiality safeguards contradicts the fundamental protections in trial ethics.