Clarity and Appeal of a Multimedia Informed Consent Tool for Biobanking

Researchers report on the results of a formative evaluation study of a multimedia informed consent tool developed for a biobank. Formative evaluations are used to gather information to guide the development of a program. The used this approach to identify areas of the multimedia consent tool that needed modification to improve the clarity and appeal of the tool. They compared the cognitive interview responses of individuals who viewed a beta version of the multimedia tool to the interview responses of those who read a written consent form. They also report on the changes made to the beta version of the multimedia tool based on the outcome of the formative study. The results of this formative evaluation suggest that cognitive interviewing may help ensure that the information covered in any informed consent tool, written or multimedia, is clear and relevant to prospective study or biobank participants.