Virtual Dietetic Interventions in Patients With Coeliac

Summary

This clinical study is exploring whether a pre-recorded, on-demand webinar led by specialist dietitians can be as effective as traditional one-on-one appointments in helping people newly diagnosed with coeliac disease learn to follow a gluten-free diet. Coeliac disease is a serious, life-long condition where eating even tiny amounts of gluten, a substance found in wheat, barley, and rye, can cause damaging symptoms and long-term health problems. The only current treatment is sticking to a strict gluten-free diet, which can be difficult without proper support and guidance from dietitians.

The number of people being diagnosed with coeliac disease in the UK is growing, and this is placing extra pressure on NHS dietetic services, which are already stretched. Many patients currently face long waits or do not get any dietetic support at all. To address this, the research team at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals has developed an on-demand, first-appointment webinar to provide immediate access to trusted dietary information, with the aim of improving patient care and saving NHS resources.

In this study, adults newly diagnosed with coeliac disease at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals will be asked to join one of two groups: one group will receive their first dietitian appointment through the new on-demand webinar, while the other group will have a traditional face-to-face or phone appointment with a dietitian. Both groups will complete short questionnaires to measure their knowledge about the gluten-free diet, their symptoms, how well they are following the diet, and their quality of life, both before and after receiving their dietary support, and again after six months. Blood tests will also be used to monitor health markers.

The main goal of the research is to find out if the first-appointment webinar is just as effective as traditional appointments in helping patients understand and follow a gluten-free diet, feel satisfied with the support they receive, and achieve good health outcomes. If the study shows that the webinar approach is as good as traditional care, it could mean quicker, easier, and more consistent access to essential dietary support for people with coeliac disease, both locally and across the UK.

Hypothesis:

The study hypothesis is that a dietitian-led, on-demand, pre-recorded webinar for a first appointment is as effective as traditional one-to-one consultations (face-to-face or by phone) in helping newly diagnosed coeliac patients achieve the same standard health outcomes, dietary knowledge, and satisfaction with care.

Conditions

• Coeliac Disease

Interventions

OTHER

Virtual Dietetic First-Appointment Webinar for Coeliac Disease

This intervention is a dietitian-led, pre-recorded on-demand webinar specifically designed for adults who have been newly diagnosed with coeliac disease. It acts as a patient's first formal dietetic appointment after diagnosis and provides comprehensive education about coeliac disease and the strict gluten-free diet required for its management. Unlike traditional approaches, which rely on face-to-face or telephone appointments with a dietitian-and which often involve significant waiting times-the webinar is available immediately online, allowing patients to access trusted, specialist information at their own pace and convenience, including the opportunity to re-watch as needed

OTHER

Standard Dietetic Consultation (Face-to-Face or Telephone)

Participants in this group are allocated to receive the existing standard of care: an individual appointment with a specialist dietitian, delivered either in person (face-to-face) or by telephone. During the appointment, the dietitian provides a comprehensive overview of the gluten-free diet, strategies for avoiding cross-contamination, and advice on nutritional adequacy. As in the experimental arm, baseline assessment and validated questionnaires are administered pre- and post-intervention, with follow-up at 6 months to collect clinical, adherence, satisfaction, and quality of life data for direct comparison with the on-demand webinar intervention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-12-01

Primary Completion

2027-06-15

Completion

2027-06-15

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations