Informed consent is one of the basic ethical aspects of any research involving human subjects. The process involves providing all relevant information about the study to participants, including:
The aims of the study;
What the participation consists of (surveys, procedures, etc.);
Time frame in which the study will take place;
Expected benefits and adverse effects;
Data use and handling – protection of personal information.
With this information, the participant can voluntarily accept or refuse to participate in the study. This process is of vital importance to respect the autonomy and dignity of the persons participating in a study, to ensure that their participation is informed and voluntary, and to avoid the practice of unwanted procedures.
In many cases, despite the efforts made to adapt the language and format, informed consent documents are lengthy and difficult for study participants to understand.
For this reason, the CEAD project has decided to use an explanatory video of the consent document in the informed consent process. The video summarises the information necessary for consent, accompanied by an animation that contextualises and facilitates understanding of the information presented. This information presentation mechanism is commonly used in research projects as well as to obtain consent for medical procedures with favourable outcomes. As a pilot, the video will be used in the first phase of the project, which will consist of conducting a population-based survey on diabetes and its risk factors in the 17D06 district of southern Quito. The informed consent video will also be adapted for the population-based survey in district 08D02 of Esmeraldas.
The video script was prepared by the CEAD Project team while the design and animation was done by Lorenzo – Tratado de Animación (Instagram: @tratadolorenzo). We hope you enjoy it and look forward to your comments and/or suggestions.
