Developing a digital informed consent app: opportunities and challenges of a new format to inform and obtain consent in public health research
Abstract Background Informed consent procedures for large population-based cohort studies should be comprehensive and easy-to-use. This is particularly challenging when participants from different socio-economic groups and multicultural ethnic backgrounds are involved. Recently, more and more studie...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-11-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Ethics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-023-00974-1 |
| _version_ | 1797629983668043776 |
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| author | Luuk V. Haring Joy T. Hall Anton Janssen J. Marleen Johannes Arnoud P. Verhoeff Joanne K. Ujcic-Voortman |
| author_facet | Luuk V. Haring Joy T. Hall Anton Janssen J. Marleen Johannes Arnoud P. Verhoeff Joanne K. Ujcic-Voortman |
| author_sort | Luuk V. Haring |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Informed consent procedures for large population-based cohort studies should be comprehensive and easy-to-use. This is particularly challenging when participants from different socio-economic groups and multicultural ethnic backgrounds are involved. Recently, more and more studies have tried to use multimedia in informed consent procedures. We describe the development and testing of a digital informed consent app and elaborate on whether this may contribute to a comprehensive and practical procedure to obtain informed consent for public health research. Methods In a sample of parents with young children, we used a mixed method approach to study the user experience of an informed consent app and evaluate whether it can be used to adequately inform people and register their consent. Through semi-structured interviews we investigated participants’ experiences with and opinions about the app, with a special focus on comprehensibility of the content and the usability of the app. Information retention questions were asked to evaluate to what extent participants could recall key aspects of the provided study information. Results The 30 participants in this study used the app between 4 and 15 min to give their consent. Overall, they found the app well-designed, informative and easy to use. To learn more about the study for which informed consent is asked, most of the participants chose to watch the animated film, which was generally found to convey information in a clear manner. The identification process was met with mixed reactions, with some feeling it as a secure way to give consent, while for others it contradicted their view of using data anonymously. Information retention questions showed that while all participants remembered various aspects of the study, fewer than half answered all four questions satisfactorily. Conclusion Our study shows that a well-designed informed consent app can be an effective tool to inform eligible participants and to record consents. Still, some issues remain, including trust barriers towards the identification procedure and lack of information retention in some participants. When implementing consent procedures that incorporate digital formats, it may be beneficial to also invest in a complementary face-to-face recruitment approach. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:01:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d5bb16d6ea0d4bdbaffa764906041f2d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6939 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:01:35Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Ethics |
| spelling | doaj.art-d5bb16d6ea0d4bdbaffa764906041f2d2023-11-12T12:29:24ZengBMCBMC Medical Ethics1472-69392023-11-0124111010.1186/s12910-023-00974-1Developing a digital informed consent app: opportunities and challenges of a new format to inform and obtain consent in public health researchLuuk V. Haring0Joy T. Hall1Anton Janssen2J. Marleen Johannes3Arnoud P. Verhoeff4Joanne K. Ujcic-Voortman5Department of Healthy Living, GGD AmsterdamDepartment of Healthy Living, GGD AmsterdamDepartment of Healthy Living, GGD AmsterdamDepartment of Youth Health Care, GGD AmsterdamDepartment of Healthy Living, GGD AmsterdamDepartment of Healthy Living, GGD AmsterdamAbstract Background Informed consent procedures for large population-based cohort studies should be comprehensive and easy-to-use. This is particularly challenging when participants from different socio-economic groups and multicultural ethnic backgrounds are involved. Recently, more and more studies have tried to use multimedia in informed consent procedures. We describe the development and testing of a digital informed consent app and elaborate on whether this may contribute to a comprehensive and practical procedure to obtain informed consent for public health research. Methods In a sample of parents with young children, we used a mixed method approach to study the user experience of an informed consent app and evaluate whether it can be used to adequately inform people and register their consent. Through semi-structured interviews we investigated participants’ experiences with and opinions about the app, with a special focus on comprehensibility of the content and the usability of the app. Information retention questions were asked to evaluate to what extent participants could recall key aspects of the provided study information. Results The 30 participants in this study used the app between 4 and 15 min to give their consent. Overall, they found the app well-designed, informative and easy to use. To learn more about the study for which informed consent is asked, most of the participants chose to watch the animated film, which was generally found to convey information in a clear manner. The identification process was met with mixed reactions, with some feeling it as a secure way to give consent, while for others it contradicted their view of using data anonymously. Information retention questions showed that while all participants remembered various aspects of the study, fewer than half answered all four questions satisfactorily. Conclusion Our study shows that a well-designed informed consent app can be an effective tool to inform eligible participants and to record consents. Still, some issues remain, including trust barriers towards the identification procedure and lack of information retention in some participants. When implementing consent procedures that incorporate digital formats, it may be beneficial to also invest in a complementary face-to-face recruitment approach.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-023-00974-1Parental consentMultimediaElectronic consentPublic health researchUser experience |
| spellingShingle | Luuk V. Haring Joy T. Hall Anton Janssen J. Marleen Johannes Arnoud P. Verhoeff Joanne K. Ujcic-Voortman Developing a digital informed consent app: opportunities and challenges of a new format to inform and obtain consent in public health research BMC Medical Ethics Parental consent Multimedia Electronic consent Public health research User experience |
| title | Developing a digital informed consent app: opportunities and challenges of a new format to inform and obtain consent in public health research |
| title_full | Developing a digital informed consent app: opportunities and challenges of a new format to inform and obtain consent in public health research |
| title_fullStr | Developing a digital informed consent app: opportunities and challenges of a new format to inform and obtain consent in public health research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Developing a digital informed consent app: opportunities and challenges of a new format to inform and obtain consent in public health research |
| title_short | Developing a digital informed consent app: opportunities and challenges of a new format to inform and obtain consent in public health research |
| title_sort | developing a digital informed consent app opportunities and challenges of a new format to inform and obtain consent in public health research |
| topic | Parental consent Multimedia Electronic consent Public health research User experience |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-023-00974-1 |
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