Feasibility and Effectiveness of Nutritional Telemonitoring for Home Care Clients: A Pilot Study.

Background and Objectives: Undernutrition has unfavorable consequences for health and quality of life. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a telemonitoring intervention to improve the nutritional status of community-dwelling older adults. Research Design and Methods: The study involved a one-group pretest post-test design, complemented by a qualitative study. The 3-month intervention included 20 Dutch home care clients aged >65 years and consisted of nutritional telemonitoring, television messages, and dietary advice. A process evaluation provided insight into intervention delivery and acceptability. Changes in behavioral determinants, diet quality, appetite, nutritional status, physical functioning, and quality of life were assessed. Results: Researchers and health care professionals implemented the intervention as intended and health care professionals accepted the intervention well. However, 9 participants dropped out, and participants' acceptance was low, mainly due to the low usability of the telemonitoring television channel. Adherence to the telemonitoring measurements was good, although participants needed more help from nurses than anticipated. Participants increased compliance to several Dutch dietary guidelines and no effects on nutritional status, physical functioning, and quality of life were found. Discussion and Implications: Successful telemonitoring of nutritional parameters in community-dwelling older adults starts with optimal usability and acceptability by older adults and their health care professionals. This pilot study provides insight into how to optimize telemonitoring interventions for older adults for maximum impact on behavior and health.

Implementation of a multicomponent telemonitoring intervention to improve nutritional status of community-dwelling older adults: a process evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to conduct a process evaluation of a multicomponent nutritional telemonitoring intervention implemented among Dutch community-dwelling older adults. DESIGN: A mixed-methods approach was employed, guided by the process evaluation framework of the Medical Research Council and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. The process indicators reach, dose, fidelity and acceptability were measured at several time points within the 6-month intervention among participants and/or nurses. SETTING: The intervention was implemented in the context of two care organisations in the Netherlands. SUBJECTS: In total, ninety-seven participants (average age 78 years) participated in the intervention and eight nurses were involved in implementation. RESULTS: About 80 % of participants completed the intervention. Dropouts were significantly older, had worse cognitive and physical functioning, and were more care-dependent. The intervention was largely implemented as intended and received well by participants (satisfaction score 4·1, scale 1-5), but less well by nurses (satisfaction score 3·5, scale 1-5). Participants adhered better to weight telemonitoring than to telemonitoring by means of questionnaires, for which half the participants needed help. Intention to use the intervention was predicted by performance expectancy (ß=0·40; 95 % CI 0·13, 0·67) and social influence (ß=0·17; 95 % CI 0·00, 0·34). No association between process indicators and intervention outcomes was found. CONCLUSIONS: This process evaluation showed that nutritional telemonitoring among older adults is feasible and accepted by older adults, but nurses' satisfaction should be improved. The study provided relevant insights for future development and implementation of eHealth interventions among older adults.

Determinants of Behaviour Change in a Multi-Component Telemonitoring Intervention for Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Optimal diet quality and physical activity levels are essential for healthy ageing. This study evaluated the effects of a multi-component telemonitoring intervention on behavioural determinants of diet quality and physical activity in older adults, and assessed the mediating role of these determinants and two behaviour change techniques in the intervention's effects. A non-randomised controlled design was used including 214 participants (average age 80 years) who were allocated to the intervention or control group based on municipality. The six-month intervention consisted of self-measurements of nutritional outcomes and physical activity, education, and follow-up by a nurse. The control group received regular care. Measurements took place at baseline, after 4.5 months and at the end of the study. The intervention increased self-monitoring and improved knowledge and perceived behavioural control for physical activity. Increased self-monitoring mediated the intervention's effect on diet quality, fruit intake, and saturated fatty acids intake. Improved knowledge mediated the effect on protein intake. Concluding, this intervention led to improvements in behavioural determinants of diet quality and physical activity. The role of the hypothesised mediators was limited. Insight into these mechanisms of impact provides directions for future development of nutritional eHealth interventions for older adults, in which self-monitoring may be a promising behaviour change technique. More research is necessary into how behaviour change is established in telemonitoring interventions for older adults.

Effects of a multi-component nutritional telemonitoring intervention on nutritional status, diet quality, physical functioning and quality of life of community-dwelling older adults.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an intervention including nutritional telemonitoring, nutrition education, and follow-up by a nurse on nutritional status, diet quality, appetite, physical functioning and quality of life of Dutch community-dwelling elderly. We used a parallel arm pre-test post-test design with 214 older adults (average age 80 years) who were allocated to the intervention group (n 97) or control group (n 107), based on the municipality. The intervention group received a 6-month intervention including telemonitoring measurements, nutrition education and follow-up by a nurse. Effect measurements took place at baseline, after 4·5 months, and at the end of the study. The intervention improved nutritional status of participants at risk of undernutrition (ß (T1)=2·55; 95 % CI 1·41, 3·68; ß (T2)=1·77; 95 % CI 0·60, 2·94) and scores for compliance with Dutch guidelines for the intake of vegetables (ß=1·27; 95 % CI 0·49, 2·05), fruit (ß=1·24; 95 % CI 0·60, 1·88), dietary fibre (ß=1·13; 95 % CI 0·70, 1·57), protein (ß=1·20; 95 % CI 0·15, 2·24) and physical activity (ß=2·13; 95 % CI 0·98, 3·29). The intervention did not have an effect on body weight, appetite, physical functioning and quality of life. In conclusion, this intervention leads to improved nutritional status in older adults at risk of undernutrition, and to improved diet quality and physical activity levels of community-dwelling elderly. Future studies with a longer duration should focus on older adults at higher risk of undernutrition than this study population to investigate whether the impact of the intervention on nutritional and functional outcomes can be improved.