Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38115021›Full record

ArticleBMC medical ethics2023

The challenges and potential solutions of achieving meaningful consent amongst research participants in northern Thailand: a qualitative study.

Rachel C Greer, Nipaphan Kanthawang, Jennifer Roest, Carlo Perrone, Tri Wangrangsimakul, Michael Parker, Maureen Kelley, Phaik Yeong Cheah

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical ethics, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Observational
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Rachel C GreerMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. rachel@tropmedres.ac.
Nipaphan KanthawangMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Jennifer RoestThe Ethox Centre, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Carlo PerroneMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tri WangrangsimakulMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Michael ParkerThe Ethox Centre, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Maureen KelleyWellcome Centre for Ethics & Humanities, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Phaik Yeong CheahCentre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
University of Oxford · GBMahidol University · THMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit · TH

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 096527Wellcome Trust 220211
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAchieving meaningful consent can be challenging, particularly in contexts of diminished literacy, yet is a vital part of participant protection in global health research.

methodWe explored the challenges and potential solutions of achieving meaningful consent through a qualitative study in a predominantly hill tribe ethnic minority population in northern Thailand, a culturally distinctive population with low literacy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 37 respondents who had participated in scrub typhus clinical research, their family members, researchers and other key informants. A thematic analysis was conducted.

resultsOur analysis identified four interrelated themes surrounding participants' ability to give consent: varying degrees of research understanding, limitations of using informal translators, issues impacting decisions to join research, and voluntariness of consent. Suggestions for achieving more meaningful consent included the use of formal translators and community engagement with research populations.

conclusionsParticipant's agency in decision making to join research should be supported, but research information needs to be communicated to potential participants in a way that they can understand. We found that improved understanding about the study and its potential benefits and harms goes beyond literacy or translation and requires attention to social and cultural factors.

Indexed as

Biomedical ResearchEthnicityHumansInformed ConsentMinority GroupsQualitative ResearchThailandAgencyDecision makingEthnic minorityHill tribeInformed consentLiteracyResearch ethics, meaningful consentThailandTranslators

Identifiers

PMID38115021
PMCPMC10729394
OpenAlexW4389940235

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.