Design of informed consent forms

Science Daily reports a Johns Hopkins bioethics study of the readability of consent forms for HIV/AIDS research. The forms averaged 22 pages, with a strong focus on the confidentiality aspects of the study and content that is legally required compared to explanations of technical aspects of trials, for example the potential impact of randomisation and placebos on participants. Lead author, Nancy Kass, cites and example form with two pages devoted to confidentiality...and 53 words to randomisation.