The University of North Dakota Consent to Participate in Research
Project Title: Interventions to Increase Radon Testing of Homes: Clinical Trials of Best Practices (Study 1)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Gary G. Schwartz
Phone/Email Address: (701) 777-6598, gary.schwartz@und.edu
Department: Population Health
Co-Investigator(s):
Dr. Soojung Kim, (701) 777-2473, soojung.kim@und.edu
Dr. Marilyn Klug, (701) 777-6770, marilyn.klug@und.edu
Ms. Sydney Rea, sydney.rea@und.edu
What should I know about this research? Someone will explain this research to you. Taking part in this research is voluntary. Whether you take part is up to you. If you don’t take part, it won’t be held against you. You can take part now and later drop out, and it won’t be held against you If you don’t understand, ask questions. Ask all the questions you want before you decide.
How long will I be in this research? We expect that your taking part in this research will last 9 months.
Why is this research being done? The purpose of this research is to compare the radon app with discounted radon tests to the radon app with free radon tests on the incidence of requesting radon test kits and of returning the test kits to the lab. The prevalence of exceptionally high levels of residential radon in ND, coupled with public’s poor understanding of this hazard, is a critical public health problem.
What happens to me if I agree to take part in this research? If you decide to take part in this research study, you will receive radon education via an app installed on your smartphone. After reading this consent form, you will also be asked to complete a short online survey asking questions about your demographics and health characteristics and featuring instructions about the app. Depending on the study group you are assigned to, you will have an opportunity to request a free radon test kit via the app or purchase it at a significantly discounted price, i.e., $5.00, via the app for the next 9 months. It is up to you whether you request a radon test kit and/or utilize it once you receive it.
Could being in this research hurt me? There are no foreseeable risks in participating in this research beyond those experienced in everyday life.
Will being in this research benefit me? The most important benefits that you may expect from taking part in this research include the fact that you will receive a free or a heavily discounted radon test kit. We also hope that the research will provide a better understanding of how to increase the public’s radon testing behaviors.
How many people will participate in this research?
Approximately 200 people will take part in this study conducted by the University of North Dakota.
Will it cost me money to take part in this research? There could be excess data charges if they go over their allotted data for the month.
Will I be paid for taking part in this research? You will be paid for being in this research study. You will receive $30 gift card for completing this online survey. You will also receive $25 per additional participant you bring in. If you are a UND student or employee, you will be asked to provide UND student ID number or EMPLID and tax status information to receive compensation. If you are a non-resident alien, you will be asked to complete a W-8 form to receive compensation.
Who is funding this research? The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is funding this research study. This means that UND is receiving payments from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support the activities that are required to conduct the study. No one on the research team will receive a direct payment or an increase in salary from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for conducting this study.
What happens to information collected for this research? Your private information may be shared with individuals and organizations that conduct or watch over this research, including: The research sponsor People who work with the research sponsor Government agencies The Institutional Review Board (IRB) that reviewed this research Triad Interactive Media, the company who developed the radon app We may publish the results of this research. However, we will keep your name and other identifying information confidential. We protect your information from disclosure to others to the extent required by law. We cannot promise complete secrecy.
Data or specimens collected in this research might be de-identified and used for future research or distributed to another investigator for future research without your consent.
The app you install on your phone has data security as guaranteed by the app-developing company, Triad Interactive Media. In addition, the online survey questionnaire will ask for your full name, email address, and cell phone number to keep track of your research participation record. If this research is published, no information that would identify you will be included since your name is in no way linked to your responses.
All survey responses that we receive will be treated confidentially and stored on a secure server. However, given that the surveys can be completed from any computer (e.g., personal, work, school), we are unable to guarantee the security of the computer on which you choose to enter your responses. As a participant in our study, we want you to be aware that certain “key logging” software programs exist that can be used to track or capture data that you enter and/or websites that you visit.
What if I agree to be in the research and then change my mind? If you decide to leave the study early, you can stop your participation at any time. You may refuse to participate or choose to discontinue participation at any time without losing any benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to answer.
Who can answer my questions about this research? If you have questions, concerns, or complaints, or think this research has hurt you or made you
sick, talk to the research team at the phone number listed above on this web page.
This research is being overseen by an Institutional Review Board (“IRB”). An IRB is a group of people who perform independent review of research studies. You may talk to them at 701.777.4279 or UND.irb@UND.edu if: You have questions, concerns, or complaints that are not being answered by the research team. You are not getting answers from the research team. You cannot reach the research team. You want to talk to someone else about the research. You have questions about your rights as a research subject.
You may also visit the UND IRB website for more information about being a research subject: http://und.edu/research/resources/human-subjects/research-participants.html . Completion and return of the online survey form implies that you have read the information in this form and consent to participate in the research.
Use the link directly below to access the study consent form, which you can keep for your records.
1. Complete the opening Survey to gain access to to the app.
2. Once the survey has concluded, use the menu to learn more about radon and order a test kit.
If you consent to participate in this study and
are using an iPhone, use the link below to download
the Apple iOS version of the Radon Informer app.
If you consent to participate in this study and
are using an Android device, use the link
below to download the Android (Google)
version of the Radon Informer app.
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