Application of the fundamentals of health literacy to the informed consent

Abstract The informed consent is required for voluntary participation in research and health decisions. However, the information must be passed on to the patient or research participant so that it is effectively understood. Functional health literacy should be considered in the elaboration of these terms, in the design of graphic materials and interviews, and in verbal communication, so that the individual can evaluate the information transmitted and decide autonomously. Thus, this paper aims to identify obstacles to the application of these documents and their effectiveness, considering the real understanding of the interviewee, whether user of the health system or research participant. To this end, a bibliographic research about the way informed consent is presented was conducted. Based on this, a script is proposed for the preparation of these documents in view of the principles of functional health literacy.