Who May Consent for Participation in Research Studies (Michigan)

Participant = Minor

Participant = Incapacitated / Incompetent Adult

Outpatient Psychotherapy

• Minor age 14 or over if seeking limited confidential outpatient psychotherapy services under M.C.L. §330.1707
• Parent(s)* with legal custody or guardian†

See “other clinical research” below.

Substance Abuse

• Minor if seeking confidential substance abuse treatment under M.C.L. §333.6121
• Parent(s)* with legal custody or guardian†

STDs and

HIV/AIDS

• Minor if seeking confidential substance abuse treatment under M.C.L. §333.5127
• Parent(s)* with legal custody or guardian†

Prenatal / Maternity Care

• Minor if seeking confidential prenatal / maternity care under M.C.L. §333.9132
• Parent(s)* with legal custody or guardian†

Research Involving Recipient of Mental Health Services

Generally: see “other clinical research” below.For surgical procedures:

• Parent(s)* with legal custody
• Guardian† (the guardian must be specifically legally empowered to execute a surgical consent)

For ECT:

• Parent(s)* with legal custody or guardian†(additional restrictions apply)

Note: guardians who consent for experimental treatment on recipients of mental health services are not immunized from liability under the mental health code. See M.C.L. §330.1629(3).

Generally: see “other clinical research” below.
For surgical procedures:

•  The patient if he or she does not have a guardian for medical purposes 
• The guardian† of the patient if legally empowered to execute a consent to surgery
• The representative (patient advocate) authorized to consent under a durable power of attorney or other advance directive

For ECT:

• The patient, unless the patient has a guardian
• A guardian† if legally empowered to execute an ECT consent (additional restrictions apply)

Note: guardians who consent for experimental treatment on recipients of mental health services are not immunized from liability under the mental health code. See M.C.L. §330.1629(3).

Terminal Illness

Parent(s)* with legal custody or guardian†

• Member of the immediate family
• Next of kin
• Guardian

Alzheimer’s

In order of preference:

• Guardian
• Spouse
• Adult child or children
• Parent
• Other adult family members

Transplants (Receipt of Human Blood, Tissue, Organs, or Other Human Specimens)

In order of preference:

• Parent(s) with legal custody*
• Guardian† at the time the transplantation,transfusion, introduction, or injection is to be performed

In order of preference:

•  Spouse
•  Adult son or daughter
• Either parent
• Adult brother or sister
• A guardian† at the time the transplantation, transfusion, introduction, or injection is to be performed.

Other Clinical Research

Parent(s)* with legal custody or guardian

• Guardian†
• Patient advocate (named in a durable power of attorney for health care, or DPOA, if the DPOA is sufficient to allow the advocate to consent to research); note that an incompetent patient may not grant a DPOA –this must be done before the patient becomes incompetent
• Spouse
• Adult child
• Parent
• Adult sibling
• Other close adult relative

Other Social/ Behavioral Research

Parent(s)* with legal custody or guardian† Note: guardians who consent for experimental treatment on recipients of mental health services are not immunized from liability under the mental health code. See M.C.L. §330.1629(3).

Guardian†
Note: guardians who consent for experimental treatment on recipients of mental health services are not immunized from liability under the mental health code. See M.C.L. §330.1629(3).