Helping Them Decide: A Scoping Review of Interventions Used to Help Minors Understand the Concept and Process of Assent

Frontiers in Pediatrics

article

Pedro Weisleder¹ 

[1] Division of Neurology and Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, United States

关键词: research ethics;    assent;    dissent;    pediatrics;    human subject research;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fped.2020.00025

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

For adults, understanding research protocols prior to consenting to participate can be demanding. For children, that challenge is likely amplified. Yet, the participation of minors as research subjects is necessary. Otherwise, the likelihood of improving healthcare for minors now and in the future is hampered. The risk that minors could be harmed by procedures and medicines that are ill-adapted to their age-group or lack adequate scientific basis is real. It is therefore necessary to identify age-appropriate models to help minors understand the concept and process of assent. For this scoping review the concepts of assent and dissent, tools to evaluate the capacity of minors to assent, and six empirically based methods that have been used to help minors understand the process of assent were reviewed. Helping minors become better decision-makers in a manner that is commensurate with their development, supports children's prerogative to participate as human subjects in research.

【 授权许可】

CC BY