The role of nonverbal and verbal communication in a multimedia informed consent process

Objective: Nonverbal and verbal communication elements enhance and reinforce the consent form in the informed consent process and need to be transferred appropriately to multimedia formats using interaction design when re-designing the process.

Methods: Observational, question asking behavior, and content analyses were used to analyze nonverbal and verbal elements of an informed consent process.

Results: A variety of gestures, interruptions, and communication styles were observed.

Conclusion: In converting a verbal conversation about a textual document to multimedia formats, all aspects of the original process including verbal and nonverbal variation should be one part of an interaction community-centered design approach.