Potential Barriers and Challenges

The panel of world-leading experts that contributed to the content of this Toolkit thought that these are some of the most important potential barriers or challenges relating to the technical understanding of others regarding the RCT methodology, and the general attitudes of others towards Intellectual Disabilities.

technical understanding

• Explaining the need for a control group may be a practical challenge.  Many people, including funders, staff and carers do not like the prospect of participation without receiving some intervention. This can be a barrier to funding and recruitment.
• Often clinical staff do not understand the benefits and process of research and this can hinder recruitment, retention and data collection.

attitudes & perceptions

• There is a lack of recognition of the health inequalities faced by people with ID and this can pose a challenge at all stages of the research process.