The Train Study: Parental Understanding of Informed Consent (TRAIN)
![]() |
The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01994447 |
Recruitment Status :
Terminated
(Change in study consent process at study site so that study had to be terminated)
First Posted : November 25, 2013
Last Update Posted : October 26, 2016
|
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Project Summary: One of the challenges facing pediatric researchers is the need to balance decreasing funding with the time and human resource costs associated with enrolling children. In order to address this, the Emergency Department (ED) research team developed an innovative model for subject enrollment and consent using highly trained and supervised undergraduate students. From a human resources perspective, utilizing students is more cost effective than the traditional research nurse model. However, a concern with this method is the adequacy of parental understanding of study information for informed consent. The aim of this project is to determine if the use of students is at least as good as the more costly "gold standard" of experienced research nurses. The validation of this innovative student model will enable child health investigators to better meet parent's needs and increase the efficiency of pediatric research.
The primary objective of this study is to measure parental comprehension of informed consent information using an innovative undergraduate research assistant program compared to consent using the traditional research nurse model. We hypothesize that parental comprehension of the informed consent information process when approached by undergraduate students will be comparable (or not worse) than when consent is obtained by a research nurse.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Parental Comprehension of Informed Consent | Other: Student Enrollment | Not Applicable |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 12 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Single (Outcomes Assessor) |
Official Title: | "Traditional Research Nurses Versus an Innovative Undergraduate Research Assistant Program: Parental Understanding of Informed Consent " (the TRAIN Study) |
Study Start Date : | November 2013 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | December 2014 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | December 2014 |
Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
No Intervention: Traditional Nurse Enrollment
Research nurses will obtain verbal consent from patient/caregiver.
|
|
Experimental: Student Enrollment
Trained research students will use digital video discs (DVD's) of primary investigators explaining study information to obtain informed consent
|
Other: Student Enrollment
The standard informed consent process is for research nurses to provide verbal explanations of studies. In the intervention arm trained research students will use DVD's made by the studies principal investigator to explain study information in the informed consent process. |
- Parental understanding of informed consent process using a standardized measurement tool, the Deaconess Informed Consent Comprehension Test (DICCT) [ Time Frame: 1 day ED visit ]The DICCT is a validated and reliable tool that was developed to assess comprehension of informed consent information among adult study subjects and adapted to measure parental understanding of consent. Parental understanding of the consent process will be measured using a modified Deaconess Informed Consent Comprehension Test (mDICCT), which has previously been used in a pediatric setting. The score on the DICCT will be presented as a mean or median (depending on distribution) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI's). The appropriate parametric (t-test) or non-parametric test will be used to compare the score on the DICCT between the intervention (student enrollment) and the control group (traditional nurse enrollment).
- Duration of consent process [ Time Frame: 1 day ED visit ]Duration of consent process from initial approach to time consent form is obtained or consent refused will be reported for all enrolled patients (median, IQR) as well as for patients in the intervention (student enrollment) and control group (traditional nurse enrollment).
- Length of stay of the patient in the department [ Time Frame: 1 day ED visit ]Length of stay in the ED for all patients enrolled in the study, for patients in the intervention group (student enrollment) and in the control group (traditional nurse enrollment), presented as medians with IQR.
- consent rate [ Time Frame: 1 day ED visit ]Proportion of patients/caregivers who consent in the intervention (student enrollment group) and in the control (traditional nurse enrollment) group reported as a proportion with 95% CI's.

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | up to 14 Years (Child) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Parent's child must be eligible for an interventional study in the Alberta Children's Hospital Emergency Department
- Parent or accompanying adult must be the legal guardian
- One independent trained research student and one research nurse must be available for randomization
- Parent must be exposed to entire informed consent process
Exclusion Criteria:
- Previous participant in the TRAIN study
- Parental language barrier

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01994447
Canada, Alberta | |
University of Calgary, Alberta Children's Hospital Emergency Department | |
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T3B 6A8 |
Principal Investigator: | Antonia S Stang, MD | Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary |
Responsible Party: | Antonia Stang, Assistant Professor, University of Calgary |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01994447 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
ACHF-001 |
First Posted: | November 25, 2013 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | October 26, 2016 |
Last Verified: | October 2016 |
Informed Consent Instructional Films and Video Consent Comprehension Multimedia Consent Parent |