Incomprehensible consent forms

Editor—Pothier's letter showing how many patients may not understand consent forms deserves a wide circulation.¹ It has long been clear that much of the current system of ethical review and research governance has less to do with the protection of patients than legal cover for healthcare providers. Many of us have been recurrently frustrated when our efforts to design reader friendly consent documents, reflecting what is known about the principles of good communication to a population whose reading age averages somewhere around 13-14, are torn up by gatekeeping committees in favour of versions drafted by lawyers for the benefit of other lawyers.

Frankly, unless we are going to retain a bunch of lawyers to translate the documents back into comprehensible English for the benefit of patients, I often wonder what their signatures are really worth and whether their consent can be said to be informed in any meaningful sense.