Writing & StyleStyle guide

DM Domain for Screen Failures in FDA Study Data

FDA’s June 2026 conformance guide says screen failures, when provided, should be represented as a DM record with specified planned/actual arm fields left blank.

Quick answer

Represent a provided screen failure in DM as current FDA guidance describes, keeping ARM, ARMCD, ACTARM, and ACTARMCD blank for that screen-failure record.

Key details

Core IssueFDA’s June 2026 conformance guide says screen failures, when provided, should be represented as a DM record with specified planned/actual arm fields left blank.
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Important caveats

Scope Boundary

This is current FDA technical-conformance guidance for electronic study-data submissions; recheck the current FDA guide, supported standards, Data Standards Catalog, and eCTD specifications before relying on version-sensitive requirements.

Further guidance

Content

The guide also distinguishes multiple screenings and enrollment scenarios; implementation should follow the applicable SDTM model and current FDA technical guidance.

Purpose

Represent a provided screen failure in DM as current FDA guidance describes, keeping ARM, ARMCD, ACTARM, and ACTARMCD blank for that screen-failure record.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. Study Data Technical Conformance Guide - Technical Specifications Document (opens in a new tab)U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Current FDA technical specifications for standardized clinical and nonclinical study-data submissions, including reviewer guides, datasets and eCTD organization.

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