Trial experience and recollection of consent

doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7290.866

BMJ 2001;322:866 ( 7 April )

Letters

Trial experience and recollection of consent

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EDITOR $---$ Elbourne et al in their article discuss a common, and entirely avoidable, problem.¹ People asked to sign consentforms, for both research and treatment, often do not recollectthe exact details later. This is perfectly understandable. Thecourteous and common sense thing to do is surely to give all trialparticipants, parents of children in trials, and ordinary patientsnot in trials, a copy of the consent form they have just signed.The form should be accompanied by an information sheet givingall relevant details (including randomisation ifany).

This should not replace verbal explanation but supplement it. This strategy would avoid much confusion, unhappiness, and evenperhaps litigation. It is amazing to us that such a simple procedure,which is routine in business transactions, is still not observedroutinely in clinical practice in the UnitedKingdom.

Heather Goodare, Chair.
Breast UK (Breast-cancer Research Ethics and Advocacy), Horsham, West Sussex RH13 6DF hm.goodare@virgin.net

Charlotte Williamson, chair.
CERES (Consumers for Ethics in Research), London N16 0BW

1.	Elbourne E, Snowdon C, Garcia J, Field D. Trial experience and problems of parental recollection of consent. BMJ 2001; 322: 49-50[Free Full Text]. (6 January.)

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Trial experience and problems of parental recollection of consent: Diana Elbourne, Claire Snowdon, Jo Garcia, and David Field
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