Zeitschrift für klinische Forschung und Bioethik

Abstrakt

Finding Solutions to the Challenges of Informed Consent for Research with Nursing Home Patients with Decisional Capacity

Skya Abbate*

Obtaining informed consent for research with nursing home patients is not only difficult in more ways than one but also raises ethical challenges. Nursing home research has increasingly improved the quality of life of older adults living in nursing homes. Informed consent constitutes the foundational principle of all research, yet there is a lack of explicit guidelines for obtaining consent. Through a synthesis of comprehensive research findings on planning, study recruitment, and ecological factors, this study proposes a best practice approach to obtain genuine informed consent from nursing home patients with decisional capacity. The aforementioned variables are indispensable to sound medical and research ethics, patient dignity, and the corresponding conclusions drawn from such research. A threepronged approach that includes consideration of the nursing home setting, the research design, and recruitment helps to ensure genuine informed consent from older adults who consent to participate in the research. Informed consent, when properly secured and implemented through special considerations, respects the inherent dignity of every patient. This article proposes such a protocol that operationalizes obtaining informed consent from those elderly individuals with decisional capacity. It contributes to the nursing literature and best practices in the nursing home on informed consent.