Nutrition intervention goals from the perspectives of patients at risk of malnutrition: A qualitative study

Abstract

BackgroundNutrition counselling is characterised by a collaborative approach where the patient and the dietitian establish goals that promote health and self‐management. Little is known about goal‐setting in nutrition interventions of patients at risk of malnutrition. The present study aims to describe the perspectives and needs of patients at risk of malnutrition regarding goals of nutrition interventions.MethodsSemi‐structured interviews were conducted with 15 patients from three primary care centres and one hospital in mid‐Sweden selected through purposive sampling. Interview transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis following the six‐phase guidelines of Braun and Clarke to identify patterns of shared meaning and themes in the data.ResultsThe findings highlight that the participants rarely reflected on their personal goals of the nutrition intervention. Instead, they strived to maintain strength and energy, with the nutrition counselling being seen as supportive in managing nutrition impact symptoms. They described discrepancies between their perspectives and the dietitian's regarding weight goals and the diet prescribed to gain weight.ConclusionsThe study findings suggest that elucidating patients’ goals is key to counteracting the discrepancies between the dietitians’ clinically oriented goals and patients’ perspectives. Goal‐setting is part of the dietitian's structured working process, whereas the patient's lifeworld is complex and unstructured. To provide person‐centred nutrition care, new strategies and tools are needed to facilitate collaborative goal‐setting. These approaches will bridge the gap between clinical goals and patients’ individual needs, promoting better alignment and improved outcomes.