Project: Experiences of older Canadians using medical applications on touch screen devices
Organizers: Dr. Kelly Grindrod and Ms. Melissa Li
INFORMATION LETTER & CONSENT
January 18, 2013
Dear Primary Care Provider:
This letter is an invitation to participate in a study being led by Dr. Kelly Grindrod and Ms.
Melissa Li at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo. We are asking you to
participate in a one-hour focus group on mobile health applications (apps) and to hang
patient recruitment posters in your waiting areas for similar patient focus groups.
Study objectives
With our ageing population, it is important to understand the use of new medical
information technologies by individuals aged 55 and over, including the perceptions and
observations of their care providers. With that in mind, we are inviting you to participate in
a focus group to explore your thoughts on the usability of touch screen medical applications
(apps) for older Canadians living with and without a chronic disease.
The popularity of touchscreen smart phones and tablets has led to an explosion of new
medical apps. Apps help health professionals manage large amounts of information but we
still do not know the best way to design apps for health care. Our research aims to improve
the design of mobile medical apps for the primary health care of adults aged 55 and over.
Study overview
If you agree to participate, you will be asked to attend a session along with 3-9 other
primary health care providers at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, between
January and April 2013. The session will take about one hour of your time. First, you will be
given a touch screen tablet computer (e.g., iPad) and asked to use four different apps
including an information app, a screening app, a decision support app and a game-based app.
A research assistant will be present should you require any assistance completing any of
these activities. You will be asked to answer a short paper-based questionnaire to give us a
little bit of information about yourself, your experience using electronic devices and your
opinions on the usability of the apps. Finally, you will be asked to participate in a 30-minute
discussion about your experience using the touch screen technology and each app.
Finally, to help us recruit patients, we are also asking that you hand patient recruitment
Provider Information Letter Version 1
November 5, 2012
posters in your waiting areas.
Your participation is voluntary
Participation in this study is voluntary. You may decline to answer any of the questions we
ask you if you so wish. Further, you may decide to withdraw from this study at any time
without any negative consequences by advising the researcher.
Risks
We do not anticipate any risks to you due to participating in this study.
Eligibility Requirements for Participation
All participants must be health care providers for adults aged 55 or over from the KitchenerWaterloo area. Participants must also be able to speak and read English.
Confidentiality and Data Retention
All information you provide will be considered confidential but will not be
anonymous. Your responses will be grouped with other participants and collected using
paper forms and via audio recording of the focus group discussions. Codes, rather than
names or other identifying information, will be used on data collection forms. Although the
focus group discussion will be audio recorded, nothing that you or anyone else says during
the discussion will ever be associated with your name in any report or publication. All of
your comments will remain confidential and we ask that you keep what others say during the
discussion in strict confidence. Even though the results may be used in reports or
publications, only the research team will have access to individual participant’s data from
the evaluations. Your name will not appear in any publication resulting from this study. Data
collected during this study will be encrypted and retained for seven years in a secure
location at our research offices at the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy in
Kitchener, Ontario.
Remuneration
We will not be providing any payment to you for participating in this study but you will be
served a light lunch, dinner or refreshments, depending on the time of the focus groups. We
will also provide you with parking.
Questions and Contact
If you have any questions about participation, or would like additional information to assist
you in reaching a decision about participation, please contact me: Kelly Grindrod (519) 8884567 ext 21358 or via email at kgrindrod@uwaterloo.ca.
Ethics Review and Clearance
I would like to assure you that this study has been reviewed by, and received ethics
clearance through, the Office of Research Ethics at the University of Waterloo. However,
the final decision about participation is yours. In the event you have any comments or
concerns resulting from your participation in this study, please contact Dr. Maureen
Nummelin, the Director, Office of Research Ethics, at 1-519-888-4567, Ext. 36005 or
maureen.nummelin@uwaterloo.ca.
We hope that the results of our study will be of benefit to those organizations directly
involved in the study, other voluntary recreation organizations not directly involved in the
study, as well as to the broader research community.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Kelly Grindrod
Assistant Professor, School of Pharmacy
University of Waterloo
519-888-4567 x21358
kgrindrod@uwaterloo.ca
Ms. Melissa Li
Student, School of Pharmacy
University of Waterloo
mw2li@uwaterloo.ca
CONSENT FORM – AGREEMENT TO PARTICIPATE
By signing this consent form, you are not waiving your legal rights or releasing the
investigator(s) or involved institution from their legal and professional responsibilities.
I have read the information presented in the information letter about a study being conducted
by Dr. Kelly Grindrod and Ms. Melissa Li of the School of Pharmacy at the University of
Waterloo. I have had the opportunity to ask any questions related to this study, to receive
satisfactory answers to my questions, and any additional details I wanted.
I am aware that I have the option of allowing the focus group to be audio recorded to ensure
an accurate recording of my responses. Audio recording will not begin until all participants
have consented.
I am also aware that excerpts from the focus group may be included in any reports and/or
publications to come from this research, with the understanding that the quotations will be
anonymous.
I was informed that I may withdraw my consent at any time without penalty by advising the
researcher.
This project has been reviewed by, and received ethics clearance through, the Office of
Research Ethics at the University of Waterloo. I was informed that if I have any comments
or concerns resulting from my participation in this study, I may contact Dr. Maureen
Nummelin, the Director, Office of Research Ethics, at 1-519-888-4567, Ext. 36005 or
maureen.nummelin@uwaterloo.ca.
With full knowledge of all foregoing, I agree, of my own free will, to participate in this
study.
YES
NO
I agree to the audio recording of the focus group discussion.
YES
NO
I agree to the use of anonymous quotations in any report and/or publication that comes
of this research.
YES
NO
Participant Name: ____________________________________________(Please print)
Participant Signature: _________________________________________
Date: ______________________________________