Nutrition as therapy – the role of dietitian counseling: a best practice implementation project

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this best practice implementation project was to improve dieticians’ professional practice and dietary care through the use of counseling strategies. Introduction: Improving the design and implementation of evidence-based practice depends on successful behavior change interventions. This requires an appropriate method for designing the interventions and then analyzing the targeted behavior. Behavior change techniques (BCTs) have been demonstrated to improve the patient–dietitian relationship and patient treatment outcomes. Methods: This evidence-based quality improvement project used the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework to identify gaps in clinical practice and barriers to changing practice. We recruited 20 dietitians and conducted a baseline audit to determine their level of knowledge of BCTs, the extent to which they applied BCTs in their practice, and barriers to using BCTs. To address the identified barriers, a 5-hour training session was conducted by a dietitian with psychological training. A follow-up audit was then conducted to measure improvements in compliance with best practice. Results: The baseline audit revealed that 80% of participants used some of the targeted counseling strategies. The most common barriers were lack of guidance on the use of BCTs or insufficient knowledge of BCTs. The follow-up audit revealed that 93% of participants used some counseling strategies, representing a 13% improvement from baseline. Conclusions: Applying BCTs is a challenge in dietary practice. The results indicate that education about these techniques is needed. As the next step, we suggest disseminating the relevant recommendations among dietitians in Poland and providing education about the use of these methods. Spanish abstract: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A289