Food'to'Go - a Feasibility Study of Post-discharge Meals for Older Patients by the Use of ICT-technology

Food'to'Go - a Feasibility Study of Post-discharge Delivery of Protein- and Energy-enforced Meals for Older Patients by the Use of ICT-technology

The research and Innovation program Food'n'Go - Empower aims to develop, test and implement a health technology solution for involvement and increased empowerment of elderly patients and their relatives. The focus is on frequent issues for this group of patients, in the first phase focusing on nutrition and physical activity. Later, the solution will include pain management, management of sleep problems, management of medication, prevention of confusion and coordination of the treatment and care course across sectorial borders. The technology is a tablet-computer, operated by the patient by means of a number of app-like software applications.

The program received in the summer of 2013 one of the Capital Region OPI funding for design and development of the prototype, which is now ready and looking very promising. The next step is a pilot feasibility study testing the usability and acceptability as well as effect during hospitalisation and at home after discharge. The present study - Food'to'Go investigates the intervention in the post-discharge period.

Aim The overall aim of Food'n'Go research- an innovation programme is to develop, test and implement innovative information technology solutions to increase participation and empowerment of older patients and their families, in relation to frequent problems during hospitalisation and the time after.

The aim for the substudy Food'to'Go is to test the feasibility and efficacy of ICT-supported energy- and protein-enforced home-delivered main and in-between meals on older patients, discharged from acute hospitalisation in medical wards. Hereunder:

• Test the technology's relevance, suitability, acceptability and ease of use in relation to the target group
• Test the communication loop between patient and kitchen, and relatives external access to the related website

Welfare and health technologies are often directed at solving problems and meeting the needs of society's most vulnerable groups, often not familiar with computers. We will, in addition to developing the technological solution, examine user-related barriers and preferences for health technology and try to find solutions that can increase older people's possibilities for using technology and achieve empowerment. The program incorporates research and innovation in an iterative process where research provides answers and solutions to the issues arising in relation to the development of the technology (innovation) and the use of it.

Inclusion Criteria:

• are 65 years or older
• are admitted to department of internal medicine, O
• have a nutritional risc score of 3 or more
• are discharged to own home
• are able to participate in the project for 12 weeks
• are able to read, write and understand Danish
• live within a radius of 20 km radius from Herlev Hospital

Exclusion Criteria:

• have food allergies or intolerance
• are vegetarians
• are terminally ill
• are included in the RiSK project
• are unable to communicate and co-operate on the use of the tablet computer