Background
Access to nutrition and exercise services for men treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in prostate cancer varies widely across health services. This study aimed to co-design, with health professionals and consumers, a web-program with a suite of educational material to support remotely-delivered nutrition and exercise video-consultations for men treated with ADT.
Methods
Prostate cancer health professionals (n=13; nurses, GP, dietitian, and exercise physiologists) and consumers treated with ADT (n=9; mean ± SD, age: 69±5.1 years; length on ADT: 3.4±3.0 years) participated in two co-design workshops. Each workshop consisted of 4-9 participants, with 7 workshops held in total. Co-design workshop 1 focused on the functional needs, preferences, and implementation considerations. Co-design workshop 2 used the MSCW (Must, Should, Could, Won’t have) prioritisation method to determine the framework and structure, features, and functions. Workshops were recorded, transcribed, and summarised to inform the creation of the PRO-Health web-platform.
Results
Three themes emerged from workshop 1: (i) reduced inequalities: enabled improved access and availability of nutrition and exercise services, particularly for remote/regional groups, (ii) one-stop shop: the web-program must include safe, evidence-based, consumer approved, educational material, and (iii) implementation strategies: partner with NGO’s, nurses to champion the program, embed shared care with practitioners for successful implementation. Workshop 2 features and functions include: (i) user-friendly interface: simple format, easy to navigate and find information; (ii) snack-sized educational material; practical, simple to follow information to address adverse effects from ADT and other treatments; (iii) personalised support: dietitians and exercise physiologists can individually develop personalised goals, dietary plans, exercise-programs with video instructions within PRO-Health to summarise recommendations.
Conclusion
Informed by consumers and health professionals, PRO-Health includes evidence-based content and individualised nutrition and exercise recommendations developed by health professionals to manage the adverse effects of ADT. Future work will involve user acceptance testing before piloting PRO-Health.