Evaluating Simplified Layered Consent for Clinical Trials (SIMPLY-SNAP)

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia

Treatments: Other: Simplified layered consent form; Other: Full-length consent form

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06168474

496741

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial (the SIMPLY-SNAP trial) is to compare a simplified layered consent form to a full-length consent form for use during the informed consent process for a larger clinical trial of treatment of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection (the SNAP trial).

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does use of a simplified layered consent form lead to an increased recruitment rate to the SNAP trial?
• Does use of a simplified layer consent form lead to increased participant understanding of the SNAP trial and increased participant satisfaction with the informed consent process?

Participants will be randomized to either the full-length informed consent form or the simplified layered consent form containing links to optional supplementary information or videos. Research staff will use the assigned form to explain the SNAP trial to participants. After consent, participants will be evaluated on their understanding of the SNAP trial and satisfaction with the consent process using a questionnaire.

Enrollment: 346 estimated patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• All inclusion criteria from the larger SNAP trial:

  1. S. aureus complex grown from ≥1 blood culture
  2. Admitted to a participating hospital at the time of eligibility assessment

• Specific additional inclusion criteria for SIMPLY-SNAP:

  1. Admitted to participating hospital of SIMPLY-SNAP
  2. Self-reported proficiency in English or French adequate to be able to participate in consent process carried out solely in English or French (as the supplementary consent materials required in the simplified consent process are currently only available in these two languages)

Exclusion criteria

• All exclusion criteria from larger SNAP trial:

  1. Time of anticipated platform entry is greater than 72 hours post collection of the index blood culture
  2. Polymicrobial bacteremia, defined as more than one organism in the index blood cultures, excluding those organisms judged to be contaminants by either the microbiology laboratory or treating clinician
  3. Patient currently being treated with a systemic antibacterial agent that cannot be ceased
  4. Known previous participation in SNAP
  5. Known positive blood culture for S. aureus between 72 hours and 180 days prior to the time of eligibility assessment
  6. Treating team deems enrolment in the study is not in the best interest of the patient
  7. Treating team believes that death is imminent and inevitable
  8. Patient is for end-of-life care and antibiotic treatment is considered inappropriate
  9. Patient <18 years of age and paediatric recruitment not approved at recruiting site

• Specific additional exclusion criteria for SIMPLY-SNAP: None

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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346 participants in 2 patient groups

Simplified layered consent process

Experimental group

Description:

For participants randomized to the SIMPLY-SNAP experimental group, a simplified layered consent process will be used to explain information for the SNAP trial. The research staff member obtaining consent will provide a standardized explanation, providing summarized information in simple English or French contained in a 4-page concise participant information sheet. Throughout the consent process, the research staff member will answer any questions that the participant has, to reflect routine consent discussion practice.

Treatment:

Other: Simplified layered consent form

Full-length consent form

Active Comparator group

Description:

For participants randomized to the control group, the existing consent process will be used including going through the currently approved full-length informed consent form. The research staff member will provide an explanation using the full-length informed consent form as per standard clinical trial procedures. Similarly, throughout the consent process, the research staff member will answer any participant questions as per normal procedures.

Treatment:

Other: Full-length consent form