The urgent need to conduct research can never be an excuse for putting pressure on potential research participants or their proxies to make a hasty decision about involvement in a study. Sufficient time is needed to achieve genuine informed consent.

During pandemics, when every effort is made to accelerate research, there is a risk that research participants or those who make decisions on their behalf are put under pressure to accelerate the informed consent process. However, even during pandemics, informed consent requires time and must not be hastened.