Promoting respect for persons: developing a brochure for research participants.

The Institute of Medicine report Responsible Research: A Systems Approach to Protecting Research Participants noted that research participants require educational materials and ongoing interactions with investigators and healthcare professionals to have sufficient information to make a choice and be empowered to ask questions regarding their research participation. One of the ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report, Respect for Persons, provided the framework for developing a brochure for research participants specific to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The intent was to provide veterans and their families information about research in the VA and a list of basic questions to guide them through the complex decision making about their rights as research participants.