Test e-Consent Project
Purpose: Guide to testing the project and e-Consent survey prior to IRB review.
Webinar Recording with Step-by-Step demonstrations
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Create a record and Enter Participant Information
In the left-hand menu, click Add/Edit Records then click the +Add new record button.
On the Record Home Page, click the gray circle to the right of the Participant Information instrument
Enter a first name, last name, and date of birth.
can be real or fake information.
How would the participant like to complete the e-consent? → Send survey by email
Enter a numeric PIN → Enter a 4-digit PIN.
Can be simple during testing (e.g., 1234) but not with real participants
The study team can decide whether they or the participant chooses the PIN
Would you like a copy of the signed consent form emailed to you?
Per WashU IRB Policy, the participant must receive a copy of the fully executed consent with both their own signature and a signature of the study team member who completed the consent attestation. Use the bullets below to guide your answer
Yes if obtaining consent from a distance and no opportunity to give paper consent
Optional if obtaining consent in person and have the option of receiving paper copy
Optional if obtaining consent remotely but participant has subsequent in-person visit and have the option to receiving paper copy
Participant’s email address – Enter your email address or the person who will be testing the consent survey
WUSTL email address of study team member completing the consent process – enter your email address or the email address of the study team member who is testing the project
Change the Complete? dropdown menu to Complete
Click Save & Exit Form.
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Deliver e-Consent Survey as Study Team Member
Click Survey Distribution Tools → Participant List → Compose Survey Invitations
When the Send a Survey Invitation to Participants dialog box opens:
When should the emails be sent? → Immediately
From: Enter name the participant will see, i.e. your name, lab name, study name, etc. in the text box and the email address of the study team member you would like the email to be delivered from in the drop-down menu
In Subject: type Informed Consent Form to Review and Sign
In the Email Body: type the text below.
Please review this informed consent form at your convenience.You may open the informed consent form to review and complete in your web browser by clicking the link below:
[survey-link]If the link above does not work, try copying the link below into your web browser:
[survey-url]This link is unique to you and should not be forwarded to others.
Note: Once you have sent one survey invitation with the text above, you will be able to select the “Select a previously sent email to load it in the Compose box” to autofill the email body.
The email address is listed with a blue check mark
Click Send Invitations
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Access and Complete e-Consent Survey as Participant
Log in to your email → Navigate to email invitation → Click link to open survey
NOTE: If you do not immediately receive the email, follow this guide: When sending out survey invitations, the recipient isn’t receiving the email?
Survey Login dialog box → Enter an incorrect PIN and click Log In. The following error should appear:
Enter the correct PIN that you entered to the PIN field on the Participant Information instrument
When the survey opens, confirm that:
The PDF of the consent is showing up correctly (if you choose to keep that field in your project)
Text in the survey matches what is in the .rtf form from the myIRB application including the IRB Stamp field
There is a Save & Return Later button at the bottom of each page of the survey
Fields that require a response from the participant (i.e. initials, signature, date) are marked as required and do not allow the participant to move to the next page or submit the survey until they are completed
Branching logic included on initials fields or other fields is working properly (i.e. an initials field that is only supposed to appear given the answer to previous question is “Yes” is working as it should)
Date and time are automatically added Date of Consent: field and is read only so cannot be edited
You cannot proceed past signature page unless all fields are completed
The final page of the survey, which appears after the participant signature field, allows the participant to review the consent form and requires them to checking a box that all information on the document is correct.
From this page, select Previous Page. This should cause the Signature of Participant field to be erased.
Re-sign the form, select Next Page, review the information in the PDF for accuracy, check the box certifying that the information is correct and click Submit.
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