<p>Increasing efficiency and reducing cost are significant drivers for adopting eConsent platforms. But are they really the factors holding back widespread adoption? Gatewood Global Principal Jeanie M...

npj Digital Public Health - eConsent vs traditional consent among prospective biobank participants: a randomized study within a study trial

Designing Accessible eConsent for Inclusive Clinical Trials Making eConsent accessible across diverse clinical trial populations means designing consent flows that participants can truly understand and use, regardless of language, literacy level, disability, or device access. Effective programs pair plain-language writing and chunked, participant-centered layouts with multilingual translation and localization that stay consistent through version control. Accessibility also includes screen reader support, keyboard navigation, adjustable text size, high-contrast design, captions, and audio or video narration, so participants can review information independently and ask better questions during follow-up.

In clinical research, managing multiple digital systems can create unnecessary friction. When electronic informed consent (eConsent) and electronic data capture (EDC) platforms operate separately, site staff must duplicate efforts, transfer data manually, and navigate redundant training. These disconnected workflows can slow down enrollment, increase compliance risk, and make oversight more complex than it needs to be. Integrating eConsent with EDC eliminates those barriers by unifying the consent and data capture process within a single environment.

Clinical research is increasingly shifting from traditional, site-based studies to decentralized and hybrid models that meet participants where they are. In this environment, virtual eConsent has become essential, not only for enabling remote enrollment but also for improving understanding, compliance, and data quality. By allowing participants to review and sign consent forms securely from any location, virtual eConsent simplifies one of the most critical steps in trial participation.

Designing Accessible eConsent for Inclusive Clinical Trials Making eConsent accessible across diverse clinical trial populations means designing consent flows that participants can truly understand and use, regardless of language, literacy level, disability, or device access. Effective programs pair plain-language writing and chunked, participant-centered layouts with multilingual translation and localization that stay consistent through version control. Accessibility also includes screen reader support, keyboard navigation, adjustable text size, high-contrast design, captions, and audio or video narration, so participants can review information independently and ask better questions during follow-up.

In clinical research, managing multiple digital systems can create unnecessary friction. When electronic informed consent (eConsent) and electronic data capture (EDC) platforms operate separately, site staff must duplicate efforts, transfer data manually, and navigate redundant training. These disconnected workflows can slow down enrollment, increase compliance risk, and make oversight more complex than it needs to be. Integrating eConsent with EDC eliminates those barriers by unifying the consent and data capture process within a single environment.

Clinical research is increasingly shifting from traditional, site-based studies to decentralized and hybrid models that meet participants where they are. In this environment, virtual eConsent has become essential, not only for enabling remote enrollment but also for improving understanding, compliance, and data quality. By allowing participants to review and sign consent forms securely from any location, virtual eConsent simplifies one of the most critical steps in trial participation.