Co‐Developing User‐Centred Nutrition Educational Resources to Integrate Nutrition Into Multiple Sclerosis Care: A Collaborative Approach With Healthcare Professionals and Healthcare Consumers

INTRODUCTION: Nutrition is often overlooked in multiple sclerosis (MS) care, leading to a gap in comprehensive patient management. Developing MS-specific nutrition educational resources could address this gap. This study therefore aimed to collaboratively develop MS-specific nutrition educational resources with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and people living with MS (plwMS) to support the future integration of nutrition into MS care. METHODS: A three-phased qualitative study was conducted, guided by the Design Thinking framework. Phase 1 involved separate online workshops with HCPs and plwMS, alongside semi-structured interviews with HCPs, to explore needs and challenges related to nutrition in MS care, and to generate solution-focused ideas for resource development. Phase 2 focused on developing prototypes. Phase 3 included usability testing of the co-developed prototypes through online and face-to-face interviews with HCPs and plwMS. Data from Phases 1 and 3 were analysed using an inductive, reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Two workshops (n = 9 HCPs; n = 14 plwMS) and ten HCP interviews were conducted in Phase 1, generating four themes: (1) Addressing healthcare barriers to providing nutrition education in MS care; (2) Supporting person-centred nutrition communication; (3) Fostering equity through accessible and inclusive MS-specific educational resources; and (4) The integral role of the dietitian in MS care. A set of new nutrition-resource prototypes, informed by Phase 1 theme-based design considerations, was co-developed and hosted on a website (Phase 2). In Phase 3, 18 HCPs and 15 plwMS provided feedback on the prototypes, grouped across four themes: (1) Clear, targeted messaging; (2) Visually and informative design; (3) Lived experiences; and (4) Trust, credibility and connection, suggesting that the design of user-centred educational resources can drive action, support decision-making and enhance user trust. These insights informed resource refinements for colour, language clarity, content relevance and navigation options to support their adoption into MS care. CONCLUSION: This study co-developed MS-specific nutrition educational resources to integrate nutrition into MS care. Future research should evaluate their applicability and effectiveness in real-world settings. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: An MS consumer panel was consulted during the planning phase, and HCPs and plwMS contributed throughout the design process, including feedback on Phase 1 findings and prototypes.