What is assent and consent?

When a doctor asks a parent or legal guardian to give permission for their child to be part of a clinical trial, the document they sign is called informed consent.

When 12-year-old children (or older) express their decision to accept participation in an essay, they do so by signing the informed assent document. In this case, their parents must also sign the informed consent document.

Signing the informed assent document means that the boy or the girl understands what the study will consist in and really wants to participate.

The doctor will be the first person to give the information to the parents and the patient, and he/she will explain the things that can happen during the test and answer any questions they may have.