Why consent should feel slow

How we work

Voluntary means able to say no

A consent form handed over with a pen and an expectant pause is a signature, not consent. Real consent means someone understood the burden, the risks and the alternatives, had time to think, and felt able to decline — which means they must be told plainly that declining changes nothing about their care.

Honest screening follows the same principle. Eligibility criteria exist to protect people, and enrolling someone who does not quite meet them exposes that person to risk while weakening the study's findings for everyone.

And the data has to be real. Research only produces knowledge if the record is accurate and contemporaneous, which is why documentation discipline is not administrative overhead — it is the entire reason the study is worth running.