Establishing the Feasibility of a Tablet-Based Consent Process with Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study

This mixed-methods study explored the feasibility and acceptability of using a tablet-based research consent process with adults aged ≥65 years.

In the first phase, focus group participants reported on their perceptions of a tablet-based consent process. In the second phase, older adults were randomized to view either a tablet-based or paper-based consent for a mock clinical trial. Measurements included: time to complete, adverse/unexpected events, user-friendliness, immediate comprehension, and retention at a 1-week delay.

Focus group participants (N = 15) expressed interest in the novel format, cautioning that peers would need comprehensive orientation to use the technology. In the randomized pilot (N = 20), retention was 100% and all participants completed the protocol without the occurrence of adverse/unexpected events. Although the participants took longer to complete the tablet-based consent than the paper-based version, user-friendliness, immediate comprehension, and retention of the tablet-based consent were similar to the paper-based consent.

The findings suggest that a tablet-based consent process is feasible to implement with older adults and acceptable to this population, but we would underscore that efforts to optimize design of tablet-based consent forms for older adults are warranted.