Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 23, 2026

Assessment and Communication for People with Disorders of Consciousness
Published on: August 1, 2017
Audiovisual documentation of oral consent: a new method of informed consent for illiterate populations
Oscar Benitez1, Dominique Devaux, Jean Dausset
1Guarani Indians Project, Paris, France. benitezoscartheo@aol.com
Abstract:
Informed consent is a legal and ethical requirement of most research in human beings, but obtaining proof of consent in illiterate populations can prove problematic. We used audiovisual documentation of oral consent (video and audiotape recording and photography), a new method of informed consent designed for illiterate populations, in the Guarani Indians Project, a genetic study in the Paraguayan Guarani Indians. We obtained consent from 42 of about 100 potential participants. We believe that our procedure allowed more than half the potential participants to exercise their freedom of refusal. We propose to include this new method as a standard procedure for clinical research in illiterate populations as an alternative to written and signed consent.
Related Concept Videos
SBAR I: Understanding the Concept
Standardized methods of communication have been developed to ensure that information is...
Methods of Documentation I: Source-Oriented Records
In an SOR, each discipline involved in patient care maintains a separate medical record section. This record-keeping method enables easy tracking of patient progress and ensures healthcare staff have access to up-to-date information.
Key Attributes include the following:
Methods of Documentation IV: Focus Charting
It typically involves three columns for recording information:
Methods of Documentation V: CBE
In CBE, healthcare professionals establish predefined standards of practice that define what constitutes...
Legal Guidelines for Documentation
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...

