Timing It Right theory-based staged video education for patients on home enteral nutrition: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Home enteral nutrition (HEN) is life-sustaining but poses long-term management challenges. One-time discharge education often fails to meet patients' evolving post-discharge needs. Video support offers a promising solution, yet its application in HEN rarely rests on a theoretical foundation to guide when and how support is delivered. Methods: This prospective, two-arm randomized controlled trial randomly assigned 100 eligible patients in a 1:1 ratio to Timing It Right (TIR)-based staged video education (intervention) or video access at discharge (control). Outcomes (quality of life as the primary outcome; anxiety, depression, functional status, patient satisfaction, complications, readmissions as secondary outcomes) were assessed at baseline, 1 and 3 months. Data were analyzed with generalized estimating equations. Results: The intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in functional status (KPS) and reductions in anxiety (SAS) and depression (SDS) scores over time compared with the control group (all P ≤ 0.001), as well as an improvement in patient satisfaction (PSQ-18, P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in quality of life (NutriQoL), readmission rates, or complication incidence. Video engagement data indicated high interest in self-management and complication content. Conclusion: A TIR-based staged video intervention is feasible and effective for improving key patient-centered outcomes in HEN. Tailored information at critical post-discharge timepoints addresses evolving needs. Future research should include multicenter trials with longer follow-up and integrate multidimensional support to enhance quality of life. © 2026 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.