DATA BASE LOCK: Not only receiving the last data point (patient phone call) but also ensuring the following fields are entered accurately and verified** prior to the lock/analysis "The subject database remains blinded with the current emphasis on confirmation of all data entered at study sites, as well as completion of source data verification and the necessary checks and reviews by the data management vendor in preparation of database lock".
** why data verification?? - number of sites involved - number of patients - number of doctors/nurses involved in data collection -human entry = human error (example: actual data point 1.1 or 1.5 but a doctor inadvertently entered as 0.11 or 0.15)....
hence data entry/review/verification steps are crucial. Once the inputs are verified then we can breeze thru the data analysis part (SAS) :).