The Role of Remuneration in the Decision to Participate in Health Research

The process of informed consent for research participation with human beings aims to provide appropriate information to individuals enabling him or her to make the decision to participate voluntarily, free of external pressures. The possibility of remuneration could interfere in the willingness to consent. The present study aims to evaluate the perception of influence of the monetary payment through research simulations that vary in the level of risk (Bioequivalence and Phase I) and type of monetary payment (with and without). Eighty volunteers participated in the study. The results suggest that remuneration did not interfere with the willingness of the consent process, as participants accepted an invitation to participate in the first research option to which they were invited to and did not feel undue influence.