Patients participating in clinical trial protocols usually have tests and procedures done with very different aims: diagnosing a condition, measuring a parameter, restoring a function, etc. They are as varied as the medical areas covered by protocols. We will try to outline terminological problems of the most common procedures (lab test, biopsies, radiological imaging, etc.) in a series of posts.<\/p>\n
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Which is the meaning of the term \u201cprocedure\u201d?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before proceeding any further, let\u2019s examine the term \u201cprocedure\u201d. We could define it as \u201ca particular way of accomplishing something or of acting\u201d, but also as \u201ca series of steps followed in a regular or definite order\u201d (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Then, not only \u201cprocedimiento<\/em>\u201d could be a Spanish translation of this term, but also \u201ct\u00e9cnica<\/em>\u201d, \u201cintervenci\u00f3n<\/em>\u201d, or \u201coperaci\u00f3n<\/em>\u201d, \u201cintervenci\u00f3n quir\u00fargica<\/em>\u201d and \u201ct\u00e9cnica quir\u00fargica<\/em>\u201d, as in o \u201csurgical \/ operative procedure\u201d. It will always depend on the context.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA biopsy is a procedure<\/strong> (procedimiento<\/em>) to remove a piece of tissue or a sample of cells from the body so that it can be analyzed in a laboratory.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLike any operative procedure <\/strong>(intervenci\u00f3n quir\u00fargica<\/em>), obesity surgery has risks.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cProcedure<\/strong> (t\u00e9cnica<\/em>) for breast reconstruction\u201d (in a document explaining the steps followed for breast reconstruction)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\r\n Is a medical test the same as a medical procedure?