We recognized that establishing a CAB could serve many important purposes, such as: ensuring a venue for expression of the community's concerns and feedback, aiding in the dissemination of results and information, enhancing consenting and follow up processes during clinical trials, helping manage false rumours, and ensuring proper crisis management.
In addition, as suggested above, partnering with school personnel – and particularly school heath personnel – can enhance the consent taking process.
In the future, the development and testing of innovative strategies to promote voluntary participation and comprehension of the goals of genomic research will contribute to our understanding of strategies that enhance the consent process.
The male Aboriginal research assistant involved in the study went through a visual enhanced staged consent for male participants, while female study team members and/or female locally employed assistants went through the consent process with female participants.
Our findings support increased government oversight of brokers in the name of improving the communication of risks to patients and better informing their choice regarding whether or not to engage in medical tourism, thereby ultimately enhancing informed consent.
Consent and information sheets evolved with the increasing age of the cohort and changing ethical considerations leading finally to substantial use of visual aids and a written information sheet in simple English accompanying a visually enhanced staged consent form (Additional file 1).
Most participants of this study were satisfied with the quality of the information received during the enrolment, as they rated each CRO-Biobank source of information "very understandable" (brochure, physician, nurse/biologist) or "fairly understandable" (enhanced informed consent form), although 56.1% expressed the wish for further information.
To clarify and enhance the informed consent process, the HHS is holding a "widespread review" among members of the public this summer.
Heightened awareness to principles of ethics and incorporation of procedures to enhance the informed consent process and the provision of additional safeguards to enhance protections of vulnerable subjects would help maintain the public trust in the research endeavor.
Some studies used additional measures to enhance understanding of consent forms.
