Innovation in community consultation for exception from informed consent studies: an effort to extend reach and improve impact

We commend Stephens et al for evaluating an alternative method to conduct community consultation and public disclosure for an Exception from Informed Consent (EFIC) study using market research surveys.1 The authors aimed to compare the demographics of the survey respondents with that of the general population to determine whether individuals who respond to market research companies are typical of the targeted communities.1 Stephens et al’s approach is innovative with the opportunity to significantly improve the reach and impact of EFIC community consultation.