Considerations for the Design of Informed Consent in Digital Health Research: Participant Perspectives

The research team, prospective participants, and written materials all influence the success of the informed consent process. As digital health research becomes more prevalent, new challenges for successful informed consent are introduced. This exploratory research utilized a human centered design process in which 19 people were enrolled to participate in one of four online focus-groups. Participants discussed their experiences with informed consent, preferences for receiving study information and ideas about alternative consent approaches. Data were analyzed using qualitative methods. Six major themes and sixteen sub-themes were identified that included study information that prospective participants would like to receive, preferences for accessing information and a desire to connect with research team members. Specific to digital health, participants expressed a need to understand how the technologies worked and how the volume of granular personal information would be collected, stored, and shared.