Can randomized controlled trials be conducted in community social service settings?

Abstract

In November 2007, a Hong Kong charitable foundation funded the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health to develop and implement a program entitled: ‘FAMILY: a Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society’ (referred hereafter as ‘The FAMILY Project’). One component was the development and testing of preventive interventions to promote family relationships. An essential mandate was that the interventions be conducted in partnership with local community social service agencies. The difficulties of academiccommunity partnerships are well known and documented. For three years, the authors worked with four separate community (and one government) agencies, and effectively completed four (plus one) randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The approach and experience may be worthy of dissemination to help others seeking to implement programs in the community. In Hong Kong, social services are widely available through numerous agencies, which are mostly non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who receive funding predominantly from