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The term 'treatment effect of interest' in a clinical trial context specifically refers to the difference in outcomes observed between two or more treatment groups during the trial. This is crucial for determining the efficacy and effectiveness of new interventions compared to existing standard treatments or placebos.

During the course of a clinical trial, researchers measure various outcomes, such as symptom relief, quality of life, or biomarker changes, across different groups of participants—those receiving the treatment under investigation and those in control or comparison groups. By analyzing the contrast of effects observed in these groups, researchers can assess how well the new treatment performs relative to others and draw conclusions about its benefits or drawbacks.

In this context, while comparing a new treatment against historical data could provide valuable insights, it isn't the most direct assessment of the treatment effect within the current trial framework. Effects seen after trial completion pertain to long-term outcomes rather than the immediate treatment differences observed during the trial. Outcomes reported solely by participants, while important for understanding patient perspectives, may introduce bias and do not represent the systematic measurement of treatment effects between controlled groups.