Parents' Perspectives on the Consent Approach for Minimal-Risk Research Involving Children

Currently, there are no published data regarding the impact of a written informed consent approach versus a verbal consent approach on parents' willingness to enroll their child in minimal-risk pediatric research. To investigate parents' perspectives about these consent approaches and about the perceived benefits and detriments of the written consent approach, we conducted quantitative and qualitative interviews with parents of hospitalized children. Data suggest that parents may be more likely to engage in a conversation about a study when the consent process is not focused around a consent form.