Improving Informed Consent: Innovations in Form and Process, a webinar on Thursday, September 22, 2011, featured an overview of the current practices around informed consent, identify shortcomings, and offer ideas for improvement.

Topics for discussion included:

• Tensions between an optimally written form and a quality consent process: striking the appropriate balance
• Regulatory constraints associated with limited English language proficiency and low-literacy populations: preparing to meet the needs of these groups
• Innovations in consent forms: using the Short Form and exploring developments of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) working groups
• A case study on oral consent: identifying common assumptions about comprehension and assessing the subject’s understanding
• A case study on institutional review board (IRB) review of a consent form: identifying IRB responsibilities, including ensuring consistency between the consent form and consent process