Qualitative analysis of acceptability of telenutrition among adult patients in IHNF Nutrition & Wellness Clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The drastic increased use of telenutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic allows the provision of nutrition services despite the physical restrictions. The effective implementation of any mode of healthcare delivery, including telenutrition, is heavily influenced by client acceptance. This study generally aims to analyze the acceptability of telenutrition among patients of the IHNF Nutrition Wellness Clinic. Ten (10) semi-structured interviews were conducted using the theoretical framework of acceptability from July to August 2022. Participants were purposively sampled from the patients of the clinic. The qualitative analysis revealed that the participants were highly satisfied with their telenutrition consultations and even found telenutrition an acceptable alternative to in-person visits mainly due to its thoroughness, convenience, accessibility, cost, and time efficiency. However, several participants expressed concerns about the need for a doctor’s referral to avail of the consultation and the effect of internet stability on the telenutrition consultation. Nonetheless, the high satisfaction with telenutrition driven by the patients’ positive experience outweighs the patient-expressed concerns about internet stability and access barriers associated with the patients’ recent telenutrition consultation.