title: Education level, primary language, and comprehension of the informed consent process.
abstract: TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ON HOW PERSONS from diverse backgrounds experience the informed consent process, we surveyed adults with a wide variety of educational levels and different primary languages (English, Spanish, or Vietnamese) who had recently enrolled in a study requiring written informed consent. Of the 100 participants, 62 were non-White, 43 had less than a high school education, and 60 had a primary language other than English. The median score for comprehension was 62% (IQR 50-76%); the median satisfaction score was 86% (IQR 71-100%). In multivariate analysis, only educational level was significantly associated with comprehension and satisfaction with the informed consent process (p < 0.001). Comprehension and satisfaction with the informed consent process were markedly lower among persons with lower educational levels.
authors.affiliation: Denver Public Health (USA).
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Breese
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Burman
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Stephen E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Weis