PD464 - ACCEPTABILITY OF A GLUTEN-DETECTION TOOL AMONG INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH COELIAC DISEASE, CAREGIVERS AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY

PD464

ACCEPTABILITY OF A GLUTEN-DETECTION TOOL AMONG INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH COELIAC DISEASE, CAREGIVERS AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY

V. Svolos^1,*, E. Zoupa¹, A. Vlachou¹, M. Misiou¹, I. Delkou¹, E. Popko¹, M. Katsama¹, M. Metallinou¹, A. Kapsoritakis¹, K. Argyriou¹, E. Galanopoulou², D. E. Strongylou¹, O. Androutsos¹

¹University of Thessaly, Trikala, ²Hellenic Coeliac Society, Athens, Greece

Rationale: Strict adherence to a gluten-free diet is essential in coeliac disease (CD), yet remains challenging due to risk of inadvertent gluten exposure.The study assessed the prospective acceptability and intended use of a gluten-detection tool among individuals with CD, caregivers, healthcare professionals.

Methods: A mixed-methods design was applied. An online questionnaire based on the Theory of Planned Behavior was administered to individuals with CD, caregivers, and gastroenterologists and dietitians, assessing attitudes, barriers/facilitators, and intention to use/recommend the tool. Also, thematically analyzed focus groups with individuals with CD (n=4) and semi-structured interviews (n=11) with healthcare professionals were conducted to expand on quantitative findings.

Results: 633 patients/caregivers and 92 healthcare professionals participated. Among caregivers, 90% and 91% agreed or strongly agreed that a gluten-detection tool could help avoid cross-contamination and support dietary management, respectively. Among healthcare professionals, 86% and 88% reported similar views. Preliminary qualitative findings suggested that among patients/caregivers, main barriers were cost and concerns about accuracy, while key facilitators were healthcare professional recommendation, ease of use, and rapid results. For healthcare professionals, reliability concerns were the main barrier, and ease of use and dietary support were key facilitators.

Conclusion: Findings indicate high prospective acceptability of a gluten-detection tool  among individuals with CD, caregivers and healthcare professionals. Perceived cost and accuracy, as well as concerns regarding reliability, may act as barriers, while ease of use, rapid results and support for dietary management may facilitate use. Further evidence is required to inform its integration into clinical practice.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared