Emergency Medicine Journal
October 2014, Volume 31, Issue 10
http://emj.bmj.com/content/current

Commentary
Guide to the design and review of emergency research when it is proposed that consent and consultation be waived
Hugh Davies1, Haleema Shakur2, Andrew Padkin3, Ian Roberts2, Anne-Marie Slowther4,
Gavin D Perkins5
Author Affiliations
1Health Research Authority, London, UK
2Clinical Trials Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
3Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust, Bath, UK
4Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
5Warwick Clinical Trials Unit and Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Coventry, UK
Correspondence to G D Perkins, Warwick Clinical Trials Unit and Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK: g.d.perkins@warwick.ac.uk
Received 7 February 2014
Revised 3 July 2014
Accepted 13 July 2014
Published Online First 31 July 2014

Like all others, we believe that patients who need urgent treatment should receive evidence-based care. However, until recently, there have been particular difficulties or uncertainties for research when consent and consultation ‘at the time of the emergency’ are impossible or inappropriate and, therefore, should be waived.1 ,2 In this commentary we describe a practical framework of ‘questions and considerations’ for those developing or reviewing such research. The framework was developed in a workshop hosted by the Health Research Authority, UK, with the aim of providing a structured approach to the issues that arise when planning research that involves a waiver of consent or consultation.