A co-designed Participant Information and Consent Form was perceived as more accessible by ethnically diverse communities: lessons from community-based implementation.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a co-designed Participant Information and Consent Form (PICF) developed to improve accessibility for ethnically diverse communities and consider implications for research representativeness. APPROACH: A generic PICF was redesigned with a consumer advisory group and researchers and piloted in community-based workshops. FINDINGS: Participants and facilitators perceived the revised PICF as easier to understand and more supportive of engagement with the consent process. Inaccessible consent materials may contribute to differential self-selection during recruitment. CONCLUSION: Consent accessibility is both an ethical and methodological consideration. Co-design may help reduce avoidable participation barriers, although effects on recruitment and representativeness require further evaluation.