Introducing a nutritional app in supervised residences for independent living: Experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Dietary challenges are common among individuals with intellectual disability residing in supervised living in Norway, and this is a major risk factor for health problems. The aim of this study was to explore feasibility of the nutrition tablet app APPetitus, among persons with intellectual disability and their formal caregivers. METHOD: Joint dyad interviews with residents and caregivers were conducted after five individuals with intellectual disability used APPetitus for eight weeks. Seven formal caregivers and managers participated in subsequent focus group interviews. Thematic analysis informed the data analysis. The study complies with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). RESULTS: The findings were mapped into three themes: APPetitus mediating nutritional conversations, residents' strategies to control the conversation and caregiver support as a required prerequisite for overall user comprehension. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates that a nutritional app can contribute to and normalize nutritional conversations, and empower residents to participate.

Design of the CAPABLE Health Empowerment Tool: Citizens' Needs and Expectations.

It is important but difficult for citizens to gain a proper overview of their health-related information. The CAPABLE project aims to create a digital tool that enable citizens to actively utilize their clinical and personal health information to manage medication, improve nutrition, and facilitate health services coordination. 57 participants have participated in various user-centered co-creation activities. A key finding of citizen's needs and expectations is that citizens are positive about such a tool provided it is easy to use and requires minimal work. Especially, opportunities to collect and utilize already existing digital health information, having access to personalized and relevant checklists and personalized resources, and be able to share health information with health personnel and others according to their own trust and privacy preferences. Involving other stakeholders to ensure integration with other systems is of principal importance to fulfil citizens' expectations of integration and automatization.