Table 3B:
Perceptions of Older Adults Regarding Strategies to Improve the Consenting Process in Older Adults.(Row Percentages)
| Strongly Disagree 1 | Disagree 2 | Neutral 3 | Agree 4 | Strongly Agree 5 | Averagea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preparing easy-to-read language &short document. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 68.7 | 31.3 | 4.31 |
| Consent form tailored with a low reading level and a large typing font | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 66.1 | 33.5 | 4.33 |
| Written material should be supplemented with verbal reiteration and explanation. | 0 | 0 | 0.9 | 57.1 | 42 | 4.41 |
| Explaining that the research is independent of service delivery and in no way affects their care. | 0.8 | 11.2 | 4.3 | 52.8 | 30.9 | 4.02 |
| The respondents who were willing to sign the consent form should be asked to do so at the end of the interview (rather than at the beginning). | 14.2 | 42.5 | 14.2 | 22.7 | 6.4 | 2.65 |
| Informers should utilize a language that is respectful of their cultural beliefs. | 0 | 0.4 | 0 | 50.2 | 49.4 | 4.49 |
| Older adults should be valued as autonomous individuals; should not be treated as kids. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49.4 | 50.6 | 4.51 |
| Having older adults paraphrase what they are told to determine whether they understand the disclosed information. | 0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 66 | 32.2 | 4.30 |
| Being prepared that seeking consent from older individuals usually requires extra time and effort. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48.1 | 51.9 | 4.52 |
| Being prepared that sometimes more than one short session might be needed for patients to absorb and understand the research issue. | 0 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 65.2 | 33.5 | 4.31 |
| Consider privacy when communicating information and evaluating decision capacity. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45.1 | 54.9 | 4.55 |
a
The average score for each strategy was calculated by adding up each agreement level (1 to 5) multiplied by the respondent percentage for each level.