U.K. Approval Of Informed Electronic Consent: A Pivotal Moment In Enhancing Trial Enrollment

By Stuart McCully, VP, inVentiv Health Clinical

The recent approval by Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) for the use of electronic informed consent in a clinical trial is a pivotal moment in the global expansion of a technology that benefits both patients and sponsors of clinical research.

Approval for the use of electronic informed consent from the California-based company, Mytrus, was granted by the Health Research Authority (HRA), a division of Britain’s NHS, established to promote and protect the interests of patients participating in research.  HRA oversees research ethics committees in England, as well as innovation in research, and the agency is interested in how eConsent technology impacts both trial efficiency and the ethical treatment of patients.