Informed consent and patient videotaping

To determine whether videotaping consent forms used in family medicine residencies meet the criteria for informed consent, adhere to published guidelines for videotaping patients, and are written at a suitable reading level.

Three reviewers independently evaluated videotaping consent forms obtained from 20 family practice residencies to determine whether they included the elements of informed consent and conformed to published guidelines for ethical videotaping. The reading level of each consent form was also determined using a standardized assessment.

Depending on the reviewer, only one to three of the 20 consent forms were judged adequate in providing a patient with enough information to make an informed choice. Specific aspects of voluntariness were absent from most of the forms. In addition, the reading level was, on average, well above recommended levels for patient comprehension.

Most of the videotaping consent forms analyzed in this study did not provide adequate information to assist patients in making a voluntary, informed choice to be videotaped. The absence of this information raises the potential for violations of patient privacy and confidentiality.