title: Oocyte donors' comprehension as assessed by the EDICT (Egg Donor Informed Consent Tool).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess oocyte donors' comprehension of the process and potential risks of oocyte donation using the EDICT (Egg Donor Informed Consent Tool).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University-based, tertiary reproductive health practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective oocyte donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Donors (N = 65) participated in an audiovisual informational session, and met with a reproductive endocrinologist individually. Donors then completed the Subjective EDICT and Objective EDICT.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report scores on Subjective and Objective EDICT, scores stratified for demographic variables, relationship between Subjective and Objective EDICT scores, and the effect of counseling on scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In general, our cohort of oocyte donors performed well on both objective and subjective portions of the EDICT. We verified the effect of counseling on EDICT scores by comparing before and after counseling scores and demonstrating significant gains. There was no significant correlation between Subjective and Objective EDICT scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the first time, we report oocyte donors' comprehension of oocyte donation as assessed by the EDICT. Reassuringly, we demonstrate that oocyte donors have adequate subjective and objective comprehension of the process and risks associated with oocyte donation. We also demonstrate that oocyte donor comprehension is significantly impacted by physician counseling efforts. In addition, scores on perceived understanding (Subjective EDICT) did not predict scores on performance-based comprehension (Objective EDICT). The lack of correlation between the two scores further underscores the utility of a performance-based tool, as relying on a donor's self-report (e.g., simply signing a consent form to indicate understanding) may not reflect her actual understanding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Center for Reproductive Health, San Francisco, California. Electronic address: drskillern@me.com.
authors.forename: Amanda A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Skillern
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Center for Reproductive Health, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Marcelle I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Cedars
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Center for Reproductive Health, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Heather G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Huddleston
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D032882:Comprehension; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards; D018587:Oocyte Donation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Oocyte donation; informed consent; third-party reproduction