Information and consent forms should use short words and sentences

BMJ 1996;312:186 (20 January)

Letters

Information and consent forms should use short words and sentences

EDITOR,--In their article on how to get patients' consent toenter clinical trials Elizabeth Wager and colleagues mentionthe need for short sentences in forms that give informationabout consent.¹ They do not discuss the merits of using shortwords. The model consent form that they reproduce uses longwords and phrases when short ones would easily do. It also beginsby assuming literacy ("Have you read the information provided?")although many people cannot read English or speak little Englishand may not have been given a translated form. Forms with shortwords can aid oral explanations that make sense to people froma wide range of ages and abilities. Informed consent can dependas much on professionals' clear explanations as on patients'understanding.

The national forum Consumers for Ethics in Research publishesa booklet on preparing information for people who are askedto help with medical research; it suggests . . . [Full text of this article]

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