Acceptability of online Dietary Assessment in clinical Practice Trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A randomised controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility of web-based dietary assessment for improved personalised dietary advice in routine clinical dietetic practice of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients
IRAS ID
305797
Contact name
Linda Oude Griep
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Cambridge
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN12932938
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
Detailed dietary assessment during routine clinical dietetic care to provide personalised advice irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptom improvement is challenging. Clinical practice barriers include competing demands, lack of clinical time, dietary and disease complexities, and the rising incidence and thus clinical pressure. This research project aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of using a web-based 24-hr dietary recall system (Intake24) for personalised dietary advice versus usual dietetic clinical care of IBS patients.
In a parallel, randomised controlled intervention study, a sample between 80 to 100 newly admitted patients diagnosed with IBS at the Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be recruited and enrolled for a period of 3 months (whichever comes first). Patients will be randomly allocated (1:1) to dietetic practice using web-based 24-hr dietary recalls (Intake24) for personalised dietary advice or routine dietetic care. Participants will be followed up for 6 months and will be invited to complete online questionnaires on outcome measures including IBS symptom severity and relief, quality of life, satisfaction and acceptability of dietary assessment method and quality of dietetic care.Summary of Results
Dietary management is a key but complex aspect of treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Even small dietary changes can help to relieve IBS symptoms. In routine clinical care, dietitians gather information about a patient’s diet during the consultation, but this can be time-consuming and often lacks the detail needed to accurately assess food intake, and leaves less time for tailored dietary advice. In the ADAPT study, we aimed to test whether an online 24-hour food diary, completed remotely before the dietetic appointment, could replace this interview whilst providing more accurate dietary information.
Twenty patients with IBS were randomly assigned to either use the online 24-hr dietary recall system (Intake24) or have the usual interview and were followed for 6 months. In the online group, patients received personalised dietary feedback immediately after completing a dietary recall. The dietitian reviewed the dietary information to tailor dietary advice before the appointment.
At the start, most participants completed the online 24-hr dietary recalls and questionnaires, and the diet information received was of good quality to support personalised advice. Some people struggled to find certain foods in the system and found the dietary feedback received after completion hard to interpret. As we were able to enrol only twenty IBS patients and patients completed the follow-up questionnaires, it was not possible to measure the impact of the intervention on symptoms, consultation length, or quality of care.
This study showed that online 24-hr dietary recalls can work well at the start of care for IBS, but low recruitment and poor follow-up limited the results. Future research needs better ways to attract and keep participants to see if this approach can improve symptoms and quality of life.REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EE/0038
Date of REC Opinion
15 Mar 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion