Translating Cardiovascular Clinical Practice Guidelines on Nutrition Therapy: Validation of the Portfolio Diet...

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death in Canada. Although the Portfolio Diet, a dietary pattern of cholesterol-lowering foods, is supported by CVD clinical practice guidelines, its uptake in clinical practice remains limited. This study assessed the content and face validity of a healthcare provider (HCP)-facing toolkit (infographic and video), designed to support implementation of the Portfolio Diet.

HCPs were recruited for a 2-round evaluation. They assessed the toolkit using a questionnaire. Content validity of the infographic was assessed using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = irrelevant to 4 = extremely relevant) and face validity of the infographic and video was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). Content-validity indices (CVIs) and face-validity indices (FVIs) were calculated, with ≥ 0.70/1.0 indicating validity. Qualitative feedback informed revisions made between rounds.

In round 1 (N = 21), all but one section of the infographic met the CVI threshold, and all FVI values exceeded 0.70. Feedback highlighted the need for explicit food examples, an improved layout, and reduced use of jargon. In round 2 (N = 28), CVI (0.86-1.0) and FVI (0.79-1.0, infographic; 0.89-1.0, video) improved. HCPs reported that the toolkit increased their knowledge, their confidence in recommending the Portfolio Diet and PortfolioDiet.app to patients, and their confidence in recommending the toolkit to other clinicians (FVI_infographic = 0.89 to 1.0; FVI_video = 0.89).

The toolkit demonstrated strong content and face validity. Repeated assessments and refinement guided by end-user feedback enhanced the toolkit, supporting HCPs in implementing the Portfolio Diet for CVD prevention and management in practice.

NCT05915455.