Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40229891›Full record

ArticleImplementation science communications2025

Core functions and forms in home-delivered meal programs: a stakeholder-driven approach to identifying essential practices.

Lisa A Juckett, Kimberly P Bernard, Melissa A Clark, Emily A Gadbois, Bernadette Wright, Kali S Thomas

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Implementation science communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05357261 (Deliver-EE), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05357261 naactive not recruitingnot on this map

Deliver-EE: Evaluating Effects of Meal Delivery on the Ability of Homebound Older Adults to Remain in the Community Via A Pragmatic, Two-Arm, Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorBrown UniversityRan2022 to 2028Enrolled2,300ConditionsHealthyArmsWellness Check and Socialization, Prepared Meals
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Lisa A JuckettSchool of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Division of Occupational Therapy, The Ohio State University, 453 West 10 th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. lisa.juckett@osumc.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8587-7172
Kimberly P BernardSchool of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Melissa A ClarkSchool of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Emily A GadboisSchool of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Bernadette WrightMeals on Wheels America, Arlington, VA, USA.
Kali S ThomasSchool of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Funding

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute IHS-2020C3-21201
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe rapid growth of the aging population underscores the need for programs tailored to older adults' complex health needs. Home-delivered meal programs are critical, providing nutrition and socialization support to older adults with greatest economic and social need. However, variations in local implementation complicate our understanding of how specific program practices influence older adult outcomes. This present study applies the core functions and forms framework to identify and prioritize essential home-delivered meal practices-or forms-that can be replicated by other meal programs.

methodsThis study was conducted within a pragmatic randomized effectiveness trial comparing two home-delivered meal models and their impacts on health outcomes among older adults. The study involved nine meal programs across the United States and used a three-phase approach characterized by the following: (1) core functions of home-delivered meal programs were identified based on Title III of the Older Americans Act; (2) the full spectrum of program "forms" was gathered through site visits, surveys, and listening sessions; and (3) a modified e-Delphi process was conducted with stakeholders to determine consensus on the most essential forms of home-delivered meal programming.

resultsThree core functions were identified from Title III of the Older Americans Act: provide meals to reduce hunger and malnutrition, provide opportunities for socialization, and provide opportunities to promote health and well-being. Out of 103 identified program forms, 25 were deemed essential for achieving the core functions of home-delivered meal programs. Essential practices included dietary customization, emergency meal provision, and meaningful client-driver interactions, as examples. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates that while program variability allows flexibility to meet local client needs, establishing core functions and essential forms provides a foundation for evaluating home-delivered meal program effectiveness. The findings inform home-delivered meal program improvements at the national level, emphasizing a balance between standardized practices and local adaptations. This work serves as a model for characterizing complex interventions in community-based settings, advancing the science of implementation and the impact of home-delivered meals on older adult populations.

trial registrationNCT registration: NCT05357261 ; April 27, 2022.

Indexed as

Adaptation scienceCommunity-based nutrition servicesGerontology and geriatricsProgram implementation

Identifiers

PMID40229891
PMCPMC11998402

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.