The systematic differences in the determination of study outcomes are often referred to as what?

The term that describes systematic differences in the determination of study outcomes is detection bias. This type of bias occurs when there are inconsistencies in how outcomes are identified or measured across different groups within a study. Essentially, it means that the way outcomes are assessed is influenced by certain factors, which can lead to skewed results.

Detection bias can arise from several sources, including the investigators’ expectations, the knowledge of participants or assessors, or the methods used to collect data. For example, if researchers are aware of which participants received a treatment versus a placebo, they may inadvertently interpret or report outcomes differently based on that knowledge.

In the context of healthcare research, recognizing and controlling for detection bias is important to ensure that any conclusions drawn are based on unbiased measurements of outcomes.