Acceptability and Feasibility of Finger Foods

A Mixed Methods Study to Determine the Acceptability and Feasibility of Providing Finger Foods as Nutritional Support for Patients After Stroke in Hospital

This study will investigate the feasibility of using a finger food menu on an acute stroke rehabilitation ward. This study has a mixed methods design, with quantitative, qualitative and economic components which will be used to inform a future randomised control trial.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Stroke, Acute

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 31

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Southampton, United Kingdom
    • University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

On stroke rehabilitation ward

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Current patient on stroke rehabilitation ward
• 65 years or older
• Normal textured food

Exclusion Criteria:

• On the end of life pathway
• Partial or full enteral feeding
• Significant food allergies, intolerances or other dietary restrictions that could not be catered for by the finger food menu.
• Unable to give consent or no consultee able to consent on behalf of patient
• In a side room on the ward

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Eligibility rate	Number of patients eligible for study based on inclusion and exclusion criteria	6 months
Recruitment rate	Number of patients approached vs number of patients recruited to the study	6 months
Attrition rate	Number of participants without fully completed outcome measures	6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Dietary intake of participants over 3 mealtimes	Estimation of dietary intake over 3 mealtimes. This will include a standard mealtime and 2 meals when the finger menu is offered. This will be measured as energy and protein intake.	3 mealtimes
Costs of implementing a finger food menu	A cost consequence analysis will be used to describe direct and indirect costs associated with providing a finger food menu.	6 months
Fidelity of intervention	Fidelity determined through observation field notes	6 months

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Patient experience	Semi-structured interviews with participants to determine patient experience	6 months
Staff experience	Semi-structured interviews with staff to determine facilitators and barriers to using the menu on the ward	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Southampton
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Milly Heelan, University of Southampton

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 21, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 25, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 7, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): February 8, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 27, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 24, 2021
• Last Verified: July 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Finger food
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Stroke
• Other Study ID Numbers: 40715

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No