Ethical issues in care research: an analysis

Abstract

Research involving the residents of care homes is vital to improve their health and wellbeing. Such research can make a major contribution to the health and social challenges facing society, including dementia and ageing. However, research is less common in the care context than in health settings. Studies submitted to the Health Research Authority over a 3-year period for ethics review were analysed to identify ethical barriers to research. Just 0.5% of research studies that were submitted involved care homes. The most common subjects researched were residents’ wellbeing, COVID-19 and care home processes and management. Analysis of the response of research ethics committees showed that the majority of questions or comments concerned the consent process, care and respect for the participants, and the social and scientific value of the planned research. There were a number of issues that were commonly raised by research ethics committees. In addition, the majority of studies involved adults who potentially lacked capacity. This work identifies the issues that are raised by research ethics committees and highlights specific ethical concerns about research in the care setting.