Journal of general internal medicine
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Editorial Comment
Fostering educational innovation through measuring outcomes.
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Comparative Study
Length and complexity of US and international HIV consent forms from federal HIV network trials.
Informed consent is required in most clinical research with humans. While federal regulations state consent information should be understandable to participants, concerns have been raised that consent forms are overly long and complex. ⋯ Consent forms are extremely long, exceeding recommendations for how much information readily can be processed. Networks should consider providing shorter consent templates, consistent with federal recommendations, given that sites' forms are based on these models. Further research should examine whether forms emphasizing key information (rather than providing details about all aspects of the research) improve understanding of research.
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Hospitals face increased pressure to improve their quality of care in an environment of dwindling hospital payments. It is unclear whether lower hospital margins are associated with worse quality of care or closure. ⋯ Low hospital margins are associated with worse processes of care and readmission rates and with changes in operating status. We should monitor low-margin hospitals closely for declining quality of care.