eConsent template · DCTUpdated September 28, 2026

Decentralized trial consent template for remote study elements

When visits, nursing, drug delivery or data collection move out of the clinic, participants need to understand who will come to their home, what gets shipped, where their data goes and what to do in an emergency. These are the sections to add.

  • Remote and home elements
  • Data flows to vendors
  • Signed remotely with verification

Free sandbox · No credit card · 21 CFR Part 11 aligned

Consent form · Decentralized elements
ABC-201_ICF_DCT_v2.03/7 complete
  1. A

    How this study works at home

    Complete
  2. B

    Video visits and telemedicine

    Complete
  3. C

    Home nurse visits

    Complete
  4. D

    Study medicine delivered to your home

    Draft
  5. E

    Devices, apps and your data

    Draft
  6. F

    Emergencies and your own doctor

    To do
  7. G

    Costs and reimbursement

    To do
Added to your standard consent sections

Key points

  • A decentralized or hybrid trial still needs all the standard consent elements; the DCT sections are additions, not replacements.
  • Explain each remote element the participant will experience: video visits, home nursing, local labs or clinics, direct-to-patient shipment, devices and apps.
  • Say who will have access to what: home nurses, couriers, device and app vendors each see some personal data.
  • Be clear about emergencies: remote monitoring is not emergency care, and participants should know who to call.
  • Remote eConsent needs identity verification and a proper investigator countersignature, just like in-clinic consent. FDA has issued guidance on trials with decentralized elements; follow your regulator's expectations.

Template sections

Sections to add for decentralized elements

SectionWhat to explainExample wording to adapt
How the study works at homeWhich activities happen remotely and which at the siteSome study visits will happen by video call from your home. You will still visit the clinic for your first and last visits.
Video visitsPlatform, privacy, recording, what happens if the connection failsVideo calls are not recorded. If the call drops, the study team will phone you.
Home nurse visitsWho visits, what they do, scheduling, identificationA nurse from [company] will visit to take blood samples. They will show identification.
Medicine delivered to your homeCourier, storage, returns, what to do if a delivery is damagedYour study medicine will be delivered by courier. Keep it in the fridge and return unused packs.
Devices, apps and your dataWhat is collected, how often, which companies receive dataThe watch records your heart rate and steps. This data is sent to [vendor] and then to the study team.
Emergencies and your own doctorRemote monitoring is not emergency care; who to contactThe study team does not watch your data in real time. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
Costs and reimbursementData charges, travel for remaining site visits, reimbursementWe will reimburse mobile data used for the study app.

Example wording is illustrative; adapt it to your study and have it reviewed by your ethics committee.

Data flows

The part participants most often do not understand

In a site-based trial, participant data mostly stays between the site and the sponsor. In a decentralized trial it passes through more hands: a telemedicine platform, a home nursing company, a courier, a device manufacturer's cloud, the eCOA or EDC provider. Participants have a right to understand that, and ethics committees increasingly ask for a clear description or diagram of data flows.

Describe each recipient in plain language: what it receives, why, and whether it can identify the participant. Under GDPR these organisations are usually processors acting for the sponsor, and the consent form or information sheet should say so. The decentralized clinical trial guide covers the wider design questions.

Where participant data goes
  1. Participant at home

    Diary, device, video visits

  2. Home nurse and courier

    Name, address, samples, delivery

  3. 3

    Device vendor cloud

    Sensor data under a study ID

  4. 4

    Study data system

    Pseudonymised for the sponsor

Describe every recipient in plain language

Remote eConsent

Consent signed at home, verified properly

Capture's eConsent lets participants read and sign on their own device. The participant acknowledges the legal statement and signs on screen, confirmed with a one-time code by email, and the investigator countersigns with password re-authentication. The document is fully executed only after countersignature, and each signature is linked to the exact document content.

  • Participant signature with email one-time code.
  • Investigator countersignature with re-authentication.
  • Optional witness and legally authorised representative signatures.
  • Signed PDF with embedded signature data and audit trail.
eConsent for decentralized clinical trials
Electronic signature

Meaning of signature

I have reviewed this adverse event and confirm the assessment of seriousness, severity and causality.

Signer

Dr. A. Ozola, PI

Password

••••••••••

Verified on the serverAutofill blockedSingle-use token
Sign

Sign a test consent from your phone

Try the remote consent flow as participant and investigator in the free sandbox.

Try remote eConsent free

Before submission

DCT consent review checklist

Every remote element explained

Video visits, home nursing, direct-to-patient supply, devices.

Third parties named

Home nursing and courier providers, with what they see.

Data flows described

What goes where, in plain language.

Emergencies covered

Who to call and when to go to a local hospital.

Local rules checked

Remote consent and shipping rules in each country.

Readability tested

Reviewed with patients or a readability check.

FAQ

Questions about this template

Something not covered here? Ask us directly.

What should a decentralized trial consent form include?

All standard consent elements, plus explanations of each remote element: video visits, home nursing, direct-to-patient shipment, devices and apps, data recipients, emergencies and costs.

Can consent be obtained remotely?

Yes, where regulations and the ethics committee allow, with identity verification and an investigator countersignature.

Do participants need to know which vendors see their data?

They should understand what data each recipient receives and why. Ethics committees often ask for a data flow description.

Is remote monitoring emergency care?

No. The consent form should say clearly that data is not watched in real time and who to contact in an emergency.

Is this template free?

Yes. Adapt the sections to your study and have them reviewed by your ethics committee.

Remote consent participants can trust

Verified signatures, countersigned and exportable. Free sandbox.

Try remote eConsent free