Designing an online intervention for adults with addictive eating: a qualitative integrated knowledge translation approach

Abstract

IntroductionCodesign is a meaningful end-user engagement in research design. The integrated knowledge translation (IKT) framework involves adopting a collaborative research approach to produce and apply knowledge to address real-world needs, resulting in useful and useable recommendations that will more likely be applied in policy and practice. In the field of food addiction (FA), there are limited treatment options that have been reported to show improvements in FA symptoms.ObjectivesThe primary aim of this paper is to describe the step-by-step codesign and refinement of a complex intervention delivered via telehealth for adults with FA using an IKT approach. The secondary aim is to describe our intervention in detail according to the TIDieR checklist.DesignThis study applies the IKT process and describes the codesign and refinement of an intervention through a series of online meetings, workshops and interviews.ParticipantsThis study included researchers, clinicians, consumers and health professionals.Primary outcome measureThe primary outcome was a refined intervention for use in adults with symptoms of FA for a research trial.ResultsA total of six female health professionals and five consumers (n=4 female) with lived overeating experience participated in two interviews lasting 60 min each. This process resulted in the identification of eight barriers and three facilitators to providing and receiving treatment for FA, eight components needed or missing from current treatments, telehealth as a feasible delivery platform, and refinement of key elements to ensure the intervention met the needs of both health professionals and possible patients.ConclusionUsing an IKT approach allowed for a range of viewpoints and enabled multiple professions and disciplines to engage in a semiformalised way to bring expertise to formulate a possible intervention for FA. Mapping the intervention plan to the TIDieR checklist for complex interventions, allowed for detailed description of the intervention and the identification of a number of areas that needed to be refined before development of the finalised intervention protocol.

Examining the efficacy of a telehealth intervention targeting addictive eating in Australian adults (the TRACE Programme): a randomised controlled trial protocol

“…The TRACE Programme workbook and website for the current study were developed following the pilot study. A sample of consumer representatives (individuals with lived experience of addictive eating and healthcare experts including clinicians and managers), independent of those involved in the pilot study, were involved in the review of the programme and programme materials 49…”

“…As a result, the programme was further refined with consumers using an integrated knowledge translation (iKT) framework. 49 This co-design phase included consumers with lived experience, as well as health professionals from a range of disciplines, to ensure the culmination of multidisciplinary evidence-based strategies was included. This was unique as previous reports omit this co-design step or are siloed in their approach.…”

“…Feedback received from programme participants and facilitators identified a need for a greater number of programme sessions and improved strategies for increasing retention. As a result, the programme was further refined with consumers using an integrated knowledge translation (iKT) framework 49. This co-design phase included consumers with lived experience, as well as health professionals from a range of disciplines, to ensure the culmination of multidisciplinary evidence-based strategies was included.…”

“…This co-design phase included consumers with lived experience, as well as health professionals from a range of disciplines, to ensure the culmination of multidisciplinary evidence-based strategies was included. This was unique as previous reports omit this co-design step or are siloed in their approach 49. The co-design process used a series of interviews and workshops to gain input into the programme overview, aims, content and materials.…”

“…Subsequent changes were made to the programme content and language used, and materials were created or refined to improve acceptability. The resultant behaviour change intervention, the TRACE (Targeted Research on Addictive and Compulsive Eating) Programme, is a complex intervention and previously described using the Medical Research Council TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) checklist for complex interventions50) (see Leary et al 49 for the TIDieR checklist of the intervention).…”