Research article summary (published 29 Sep 2009):

Informed consent recall and comprehension in orthodontics: traditional vs improved readability and processability methods.

Full Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Low general and health literacy in the United States means informed consent documents are not well understood by most adults. Methods to improve recall and comprehension of informed consent have not been tested in orthodontics. The purposes of this study were to evaluate (1) recall and comprehension among patients and parents by using the American Association of Orthodontists' (AAO) informed consent form and new forms incorporating improved readability and processability; (2) the association between reading ability, anxiety, and sociodemographic variables and recall and comprehension; and (3) how various domains (treatment, risk, and responsibility) of information are affected by the forms. METHODS: Three treatment groups (30 patient-parent pairs in each) received an orthodontic case presentation and either the AAO form, an improved readability form (MIC), or an improved readability and processability (pairing audio and visual cues) form (MIC + SS). Structured interviews were transcribed and coded to evaluate recall and comprehension. RESULTS: Significant relationships among patient-related variables and recall and comprehension explained little of the variance. The MIC + SS form significantly improved patient recall and parent recall and comprehension. Recall was better than comprehension, and parents performed better than patients. The MIC + SS form significantly improved patient treatment comprehension and risk recall and parent treatment recall and comprehension. Patients and parents both overestimated their understanding of the materials. CONCLUSIONS: Improving the readability of consent materials made little difference, but combining improved readability and processability benefited both patients' recall and parents' recall and comprehension compared with the AAO form.

Author information

Author/s: Kang, Edith Y (EY); Fields, Henry W (HW); Kiyak, Asuman (A); Beck, F Michael (FM); Firestone, Allen R (AR);

Affiliation: Division of Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43218-2357, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: American journal of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics : official publication of the American Association of Orthodontists, its constituent societies, and the American Board of Orthodontics (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Oct; vol 136 (issue 4) : pp 488.e1-13; discussion 488-9

Dates: Created 2009/10/09; Completed 2009/10/29;

PMID: 19815144, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/29/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent Adult African Americans Anxiety - physiopathology Audiovisual Aids Child Comprehension - physiology Consent Forms Cues Educational Status European Continental Ancestry Group Forms and Records Control Hispanic Americans

Hispanic Americans Humans Income Mental Recall - physiology Orthodontics, Corrective Parents Patient Care Planning Patient Education as Topic Patient Participation Reading Risk Factors Self Assessment (Psychology) Socioeconomic Factors

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