Consent and assent in paediatric practice: it’s the conversation that matters

Consent and assent in paediatric practice: it’s the conversation that matters
Viewpoint
Hugh T Davies, Jenny Preston
Archives of Disease in Childhood, 4 April 2024
Excerpt
In paediatric medical research, across jurisdictions, parental consent and the assent of their child will usually come from a shared conversation between the researcher and family. This is how a study is introduced, information delivered, uncertainties addressed and understanding confirmed. Evidence indicates the crucial importance of the dialogue1 yet it currently goes unguided, undocumented, and often unchecked as review and research design continue to focus on the Participant Information Sheets (PIS).2 We propose that it’s time to move our focus on to this conversation to help families make their decision and in this viewpoint we suggest how this can be realised working within the constraints that researchers face. We address consent to research, but would contend that this idea has equal applicability in clinical practice…