Informed consent processes need local adaptation

Samson Muchina Kinyanjui and colleagues from the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya discuss in this week's PLoS Medicine how they modified the programme's informed consent processes by taking into account local social, cultural, and economic contexts in the design and administration of consent forms. They stress that institutional wide support is important in ensuring consistency in the consenting process for all studies within a given institution.

The authors conclude: "Experiences in Kilifi suggest that locally adapted communication processes that combine the development of contextualised [informed consent forms] templates and ongoing supportive processes for their use are a valuable investment of resources through their potential to strengthen informed consent, particularly in international research."

More information:
Boga M, Davies A, Kamuya D, Kinyanjui SM, Kivaya E, et al. (2011) Strengthening the Informed Consent Process in International Health Research through Community Engagement: The KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme Experience. PLoS Med 8(9): e1001089. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001089

Provided by Public Library of Science