What do geriatric rehabilitation patients and experts consider relevant? Requirements for a digitalised e-coach for sustainable improvement of nutrition and physical activity in older adults – a qualitative focus group study

BACKGROUND: During geriatric rehabilitation, attempts are made to increase the patients’ health and functional capacity. In order to maintain these improvements in the medium- and long-term, behavioural changes regarding mobility and nutrition are also targeted, but these are often not sustainable. International studies show positive effects on the sustainability of the improvement of physical activity behaviour in healthy seniors through the use of electronic devices and software applications. Comparable approaches that include nutrition topics or combine them and were additionally developed for geriatric rehabilitation patients (≥70 years) to date are not known. The aim of this study was to identify what geriatric rehabilitation patients require from an electronic coaching system (e-coach) to support them in improving their nutritional and physical activity behaviour, and what content and features physiotherapists and dieticians consider relevant. METHOD: Focus group interviews (09–11/2019) were conducted in a geriatric rehabilitation centre in Germany with patients aged 70 years and older, relatives and experts (physiotherapists and nutritionists). The focus groups were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: Three focus groups with patients and relatives (n = 17, 65% female, 16 (94%) in age category 70–99 years) and one focus group with experts (2 dieticians and 1 physiotherapist) were conducted. Relevant contents and feedback elements for nutrition and physical activity in old age were identified. The patients’ comments show that an e-coach must offer obvious benefits for the older persons and promote motivation in order to be used. The willingness to change nutrition and physical activity behaviour and the previous experiences in these areas are very heterogeneous, therefore content should be adaptable to different requirements. CONCLUSION: Experts and patients identified quite similar contents, barriers and facilitators for a nutrition and physical activity e-coach. The e-coach needs to be able to address different points of behaviour change, enable adaptations to the individual patient and convince the older person that using it will help them to improve their nutrition and physical activity. It is also important that the e-coach is easy to use and can be easily integrated into the patient’s everyday life after rehabilitation. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-021-02692-y.