The approach to informed consent in acute care research
In their discussion of the contrasting responses of the UK and the USA to the unprecedented situation posed by the COVID-19 pandemic—and the urgent need for randomised controlled trials to guide clinical practice—Jonathan D Casey and colleagues1 state that the Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy (RECOVERY) trial was approved “with an alteration of informed consent” to facilitate enrolment. We are concerned that this statement could confuse clinical investigators and research ethics committee members.