Understanding informed consent in bioinformatics research: cross-cultural issues

Cultural factors, such as language, gender roles, and emphasis on individuality should be attended to in bioinformatics research studies for reasons related to ethics and generalizability. These factors must be addressed during the informed consent process when patients make decisions about study participation. Observations of Institutional Review Board meetings and interviews with principal investigators of bioinformatics studies revealed that only particular cultural factors, such as language, are considered during the informed consent process.