‘Like a Kid's Book’: Pilot Testing of a Visual Informed Consent Form With Children in Canada, Ghana and Laos

Abstract

It is a moral imperative to conduct the consent process in a way that is understandable, engaging and meaningful for children. This underscores the necessity of obtaining consent through age- and culturally appropriate methods and content. Using qualitative, participatory visual research methods, this study aimed to gather feedback on a visual informed consent (VIC) storybook among 17 primary school-aged children in Canada, Ghana and Laos. Participatory workshops with children were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis yielded four themes: (1) study premise and purpose, (2) confidentiality, (3) voluntariness and (4) compensation. Most children responded positively to the VIC and preferred the visual format over conventional written consent forms, as it was easier to engage with and helped maintain their attention. The VIC appears to be a useful tool for presenting information and obtaining consent. Further studies are needed to assess its usability across diverse sociocultural and urban–rural settings.