By CE Rancher, JM Shoemaker, LE Petree, M Holdsworth, JP Philips and DL Helitzer
It is widely accepted that any incidental findings discovered in imaging studies should be communciated to the particpant in the study, particularly if this is a
non-routine, research protocol. However, participants’ understanding of the significance of any such findings can depend on their level of health literacy
of the particpant. This article summarizes a recent analysis of the challenges that often arise in research neuroimaging studies regarding the appropriate
communication of incidental findings to participants who have varying health literacy levels. Suggestions are proposed to alleviate the problem.