MRC Epidemiology UnitA 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
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 time, dietary and disease complexities, and the rising incidence and thus clinical pressure. This research project aimed to establish 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.
As part of initial routine dietetic assessment, newly admitted IBS patients were assigned to one-to-one dietetic consultations or group sessions. In a parallel, randomised controlled intervention study, patients (one-to-one dietetic consultations) and group sessions were randomly allocated (1:1) to web-based 24-hr dietary recalls or routine dietetic practice and will be followed for 6 months.
A sample of at least 100 newly admitted patients older than 18 years of age, who meet the ROMEIV criteria for IBS diagnosis according to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines were invited to participate. Patients were ineligible if they were younger than 18 years, had a co-existing gastrointestinal disease (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease) or eating disorder, no availability or access to a computer, tablet or internet, insufficient English language proficiency, or were unable to give informed consent.
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