Translating digital health services for nutrition care management of chronic conditions in outpatient settings: A multi-stakeholder e-Delphi study.

Abstract

Aim: To identify and achieve expert consensus on the most important and feasible strategies to implement digital health services for nutrition care management of chronic conditions in outpatient settings.

Methods: Determinants and strategies for implementing digital health services for nutrition care management were identified in line with the literature and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. These were presented to team leaders and senior clinicians, as well as dietetic and allied health directors in a two-round e-Delphi process. Consensus was reached when strategies were rated very important/feasible by at least 75% of respondents, calculated by the median, interquartile range and frequency. Following the two survey rounds, a final prioritisation survey was distributed to participants, where participants were asked to prioritise their top strategy for each determinant, which was analysed by frequency calculations.

Results: Twenty participants participated in round one of the survey and 18 completed the final prioritisation round. Following the two rounds, 3 strategies did not meet consensus for importance and 7 strategies did not meet consensus for feasibility out of 25 strategies presented. Nine strategies were prioritised following the survey rounds. Key concepts of the strategies that met consensus and were prioritised related to (i) adhering to quality of care with effective evaluation processes; (ii) providing options for digital health upskilling and support; and (iii) individualising patient care.

Conclusion: Team leaders and senior clinicians as well as dietetic and allied health directors have indicated that there are many important digital health strategies yet not all are feasible to implement within current resourcing and systems.