Do You Blog About Your Health?

Tufts University Medical School: Patient Blogging Survey

INFORMED CONSENT FOR PARTICIPATION

Thank you for taking part in a Tufts University School of Medicine graduate research project to examine patient blogging.

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to examine the use of patient blogs.

What will be done: You will complete a survey, which will take 10-15 minutes to complete. The survey includes questions about your blogging history. We also will ask for some demographic information (e.g., age, marital status,education level) so that we can accurately describe the general traits of survey participants.

Confidentiality: Your responses will be kept completely confidential. We will NOT know your IP address when you respond to the survey. We will ask you to include an e-mail address when you complete the survey so that we can enter you in the drawing for the gift certificate. However, your e-mail address will not be stored with data from your survey. You will be assigned a participant number, and only that number will appear with your survey responses.

Benefits of this Survey: You will be contributing to knowledge about patient blogs. In addition, you will be entered in a drawing for one of two $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificates. After we have finished data collection, we will conduct the drawing. Winners will receive the gift certificate via e-mail.

Risks or discomforts: No risks or discomforts are anticipated from taking part in this study. If you feel uncomfortable with a question, you can skip that question or withdraw from the study altogether. If you decide to quit at any time before you have finished the survey, your answers will NOT be recorded.

Decision to quit at any time: Your participation is voluntary; you are free to withdraw your participation from this study at any time. If you do not want to continue, you can simply leave the survey site. If you do not click on the "done" button at the end of the survey, your answers and participation will not be recorded. You also may choose to skip any questions that you do not wish to answer. If you click on the “done” button at the end of the survey and enter your email address, you will be entered in the drawing.

How the findings will be used: The results of the study will be used for scholarly purposes only. The results from the study will be presented in educational settings and at professional conferences, and the results might be published in a professional journal.

Contact information: If you have concerns or questions about this study, you may contact the Principal Investigator, Dr. Libby Bradshaw, (617) 636-6946, Co-Investigator, Pamela Ressler, RN, MS-PREP candidate (pamela.ressler@tufts.edu), or faculty preceptor, Dr. Lisa Gualtieri (l.gualtieri@tufts.edu). If you have questions about your rights as a research study subject, call the Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University Health Sciences Institutional Review Board (IRB) at (617) 636-7512. The IRB is a group of doctors, nurses, and non-medical people who review human research studies for safety and protection of people who take part in the studies. Federal law requires the IRB to review and approve any research study involving humans.

By beginning the survey, you acknowledge that you are at least 18 years old, have read this information, and agree to participate in this research, with the knowledge that you are free to withdraw your participation at any time without penalty.

 

Take the survey here