Observational study of parental opinion of deferred consent for neonatal research

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the opinions of parents of newborns following their infant's enrolment into a neonatal research study through the process of deferred consent. Design Mixed-methods, observational study, interviewing 100 parents recently approached for deferred consent. Setting Tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit, Melbourne, Australia. Results All 100 parents interviewed had consented to the study/studies using deferred consent; 62% had also experienced a prospective neonatal consent process. Eighty-nine per cent were â € satisfied' with the deferred consent process. The most common reason given for consenting was â € to help future babies'. Negative comments regarding deferred c..