Methods and apparatus for authenticating informed consent

An apparatus for authenticating a recipient's receipt and comprehension of information comprising:

• a) a device for conveying information to a recipient;
• b) a means for selecting information to be provided to the recipient by the information conveying means;
• c) a means for recording at least one uniquely personal marker of said recipient to establish recipient's exposure to said information;
• d) a means for conveying said information to said recipient;
• e) a means for providing said recipient with at least one inquiry selected to determine said recipient's comprehension of the information conveyed;
• f) a means for directing said recipient to provide an answer to said inquiry;
• g) a means for recording each of said information conveyed, said inquiry and said recipient's answer to said inquiry;
• h) a means for simultaneously visually recording said recipient as said recipient reviews said conveyed information, said inquiry and provides said answer;
• and
• i) a means for correlatedly archiving on a storage medium said conveyed information, said inquiry, said answer and said visual recording of said recipient such that said conveyed information, said inquiry, said answer and said visual recording of said recipient are retrievable to simultaneously observe at least one element selected from the group consisting of said conveyed information, said inquiry, said answer and the corresponding visual record of said recipient reviewing said conveyed information, said inquiry or providing said answer.

A computer-based information storage and retrieval system for providing confirmation of relayed information comprising:

• a computer having a processor and a memory storage device, wherein the memory includes a program for generating an interactive presentation that displays preselected information to the recipient, and wherein the computer is adapted to receive at least one prompted input response from the recipient to demonstrate a level of comprehension of the preselected information by the recipient;
• a visual recorder coupled to the computer, wherein the visual recorder contemporaneously records a visual record of the recipient observing the preselected information within the interactive presentation as the preselected information is provided to the recipient;
• a memory storage device in communication with the visual recorder for storing the visual record, wherein the visual record includes the preselected information within the interactive presentation provided to the recipient and correlated images of the recipient viewing the preselected information as the preselected information is provided to the recipient;
• and
• a display monitor for simultaneously displaying the visual record including the preselected information within the interactive presentation and the correlated images of recipient receiving the preselected information.