Patients' perspectives on opt-out consent for observational research: systematic review and focus group.

BACKGROUND:: observational research is increasingly important in clinical decision-making. Opt-out consent has been proposed as a more practical way to obtain participants' consent for such research. The authors evaluated patients' views on opt-out consent for observational research by identifying perceived benefits and barriers. METHODS:: following a systematic literature review of research on participants' perspectives on opt-out consent, a focus group interview was conducted with oncological patients and their family members. RESULTS:: the review identified 13 articles detailing perspectives on opt-out consent. Perceived advantages included benefitting medicine and future generations. These findings were confirmed in the focus group. The main reported barriers to opt-out consent are concerns regarding privacy and the sharing of data with third parties. Participants also demonstrated concerns on insufficient education on opt-out consent. CONCLUSION:: participants demonstrated willingness to participate in observational studies utilising opt-out consent. Special focus should be placed on outlining existing safeguards in research.

Developing a novel framework for non-technical skills learning strategies for undergraduates: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: There is substantial lack of guidance when it comes to the implementation of non-technical skills (NTS) in undergraduate medical education. This review aimed to identify and critically evaluate published literature on learning strategies for NTS in undergraduate medical education and to derive a training framework targeted towards standardizing future training interventions. METHODS: A systematic review of the MEDLINE database was performed using a prospective protocol following PRISMA guidelines. Studies evaluating undergraduate medical students exposed to NTS interventions, which measured subjective or objective outcomes in selected attributes, were included. RESULTS: Initial systematic search yielded a total of 5079 articles, out of which 68 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A total of 24 NTS were identified, with communication skills being the most commonly reported skill evaluated (n = 37). A variety of educational tools were used (n = 32), noteworthy being the use of simulated patients. Great heterogeneity was also observed in measured outcomes and methods of assessment. A 'triad of outcomes' in NTS training was devised (knowledge, skill performance and attitude towards skills) and used for classification of all reported outcomes. Extracted data were used to design a non-technical skill training framework. CONCLUSIONS: The existing literature describes a plethora of NTS interventions in undergraduate medical education, with varied outcomes and assessments. We hereby propose the 'NTS Training Framework', in an attempt to coordinate future research and catalyze the identification of an ideal NTS course structure to form tomorrow's physicians.