How informed is online informed consent?

Area of Science:

• Informed Consent Procedures
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Research Ethics

Background:

• Informed consent is crucial for ethical research.
• Digital platforms are increasingly used for research, raising questions about their efficacy compared to traditional paper methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the reading and recall of informed consent documents presented via paper versus computer.
• To evaluate the impact of continuous versus paginated formats on document comprehension.
• To identify potential improvements for informed consent processes in both physical and online settings.

Main Methods:

• Participants read informed consent documents presented on paper or computer.
• Documents were formatted as either continuous or paginated to mimic real-world scenarios.
• Reading times and information recall were measured for each condition.

Main Results:

• Participants took slightly longer to read documents presented on computers and in paginated formats.
• Information recall was marginally better for paginated informed consent documents.
• No substantial differences were found between online and paper-based informed consent.

Conclusions:

• Online informed consent processes are comparable in effectiveness to traditional paper-based methods.
• Paginated document presentation may enhance comprehension and recall.
• Recommendations are provided to optimize informed consent procedures for both digital and face-to-face research.