Non-English Language Consent Forms
Investigators are urged when they submit a protocol to anticipate if non-English-speaking subjects will be specifically recruited and arrange for translations of their IRB approved consent form.  However, it is appreciated by the IRB that “pop-up” subjects eligible for a study who speak a language other than English may respond to an advertisement or be identified in a clinic or hospital visit.  IRB Standard Operating Procedure 15.4 addresses such situations and permits the one-time use of a short consent form translated in the subject’s language followed subsequently with re-consenting using a translated version of the IRB approved consent form for that study.  On the IRB web site (http://www.uams.edu/irb/IRB.asp) can be found the English and Spanish versions of such a short consent form in a Microsoft Word file (under IRB Tips/Tools/Research Links) as well as IRB SOP 15.4 (under IRB Standard Operating Procedures).  As the need arises, the IRB will put additional short forms in other languages on this web site.  The investigator is reminded that if the short consent form is used, it is their responsibility to have the IRB approved consent form translated, certified by the translator as to accuracy, and submit this documentation to the IRB in a timely manner as specified in IRB SOP 15.4.

Jimmie Valentine, Ph.D.
October 29, 2004