Video Consent Proving an Obstacle in India Trials

In November 2013, India's Drug Controller General required that all clinical trials must record on video a participant's informed consent, which according to a recent article, is driving recruitment rates down.

Physician investigators report the reasons patients are declining clinical trials because of the video recorded consent. Those reasons include, they believe the videos could be leaked; tampered with or misused. Also, social and religious reasons, as well as poor self image during a sickness. The physicians in the article report ranges between 10%-40% of patients declining to participate in the clinical trial after learning of the video consent requirement.

While some believe the video consent has a noble intent, the questions behind the ethics of not allowing participants the decision to opt-out of the video requirement, as well as the long-term effects on science are being debated.