Acceptability, feasibility, and equity implications of alternative approaches to ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF) for the treatment of severe wasting in infants and young children: A rapid Qualitative Evidence Synthesis Protocol

This is a protocol for a rapid qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) which aims to to synthesise perspectives of caregivers, intervention providers and other interest-holders involved in implementation, on the acceptability, feasibility and equity in providing alternative approaches to ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF) compared to standard approaches to RUTF to infants and children aged 6-59 months with severe wasting and/or nutritional oedema. The QES is intended to be fit-for-purpose to inform the GRADE evidence-to-decision (EtD) framework, which guides decision-makers and guideline development group panels when formulating a recommendation. In this protocol, we outline the methods we will be using to conduct the rapid QES, including the search strategy and the coding framework.