What is a Case Report Form (CRF)?

• A. Tool to collect protocol-required data.
• B. A form used for financial reporting.
• C. Document listing study drug inventory.
• D. A patient satisfaction survey.

Answer: (A)

A Case Report Form is the standardized instrument used to capture all data required by the study protocol for each participant. It translates the protocol’s data requirements into a uniform record that can be reviewed, monitored, and analyzed. Each field reflects a data point the protocol demands—such as demographics, visit dates, clinical measurements, adverse events, concomitant medications, and efficacy outcomes. Data are typically collected from source documents (like medical records) and entered into the CRF, creating an auditable data trail that supports data management, quality control, and regulatory reporting. This structure ensures consistency across sites and time, so the resulting dataset is complete and suitable for analysis. It is not used for financial reporting, drug inventory, or patient satisfaction surveys.