Alan R. Tait|Terri Voepel?Lewis|Vijayan N. Nair|Naveen N. Narisetty|Angela Fagerlin
Informing the Uninformed
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor|University of Michigan–Ann Arbor|University of Michigan–Ann Arbor|University of Michigan–Ann Arbor|University of Michigan–Ann Arbor|VA Center for Clinical Management Research
research information presented manner promotes understanding however many parents research subjects difficulty understanding making informed decisionsto examine effect different communication strategies parental understanding research informationobservational study january 2010 june 2012 using fractional factorial designlarge tertiary care childrens hospitalsix hundred forty parents children scheduled elective surgeryparents randomized receive information hypothetical pain trial presented 1 16 consent documents containing different combinations 5 selected communication strategies ie length readability processability formatting graphical display supplemental verbal disclosureparents interviewed determine understanding study elements eg protocol alternatives gist main point verbatim actual understanding risks benefitsmain effects understanding found processability readability message length use graphics verbal discussion consent documents high processability eighthgrade reading level graphics resulted significantly greater gist verbatim understanding compared forms without attributes mean difference 057 95 ci 026088 number correct responses 7 mean difference 054 95 ci020088 number correct responses 4 gist verbatim respectivelyresults identified several communication strategy combinations improved parents understanding research information adoption active strategies investigators clinicians institutional review boards study sponsors represents simple practical inexpensive means optimize consent message enhance parental participant patient understanding