Why patients stay in or leave a medically tailored meals program: a qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Health Services Research
• Qualitative Health Research

Background:

• Medically tailored meals (MTMs) offer nutritional support for patients with complex health conditions.
• While MTMs can improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs, understanding patient engagement is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patient factors influencing enrollment, completion, and withdrawal from MTM programs.
• To identify strategies for enhancing MTM program effectiveness based on patient experiences.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 28 MTM program participants (completers and non-completers).
• Interviews explored patient and program characteristics, analyzed using directed qualitative content analysis and matrix coding.

Main Results:

• Patients enrolled in MTMs to alleviate symptoms and improve function; some non-completers focused on weight loss.
• Both groups perceived the program positively, though taste and portion size were initial concerns.
• Non-completers withdrew due to taste issues or because their health improved/circumstances changed, making meals less necessary.

Conclusions:

• Patient expectations regarding weight outcomes, meal taste, and portion size are key to MTM program completion.
• Incorporating patient feedback is crucial for optimizing MTM program design and effectiveness.
• Educational aspects of MTMs supported sustained dietary changes for participants.