Updates to the Definition of Evidence-Based (Dietetics) Practice: Providing Clarity for Practice

Identifying and Mapping Canadian Registered Dietitians’ Perceptions and Knowledge of, and Experiences with, Weight-Related Evidence in Nutrition Care: A Scoping Review Protocol

“…Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) inform dietetic practice (Hand et al, 2021;Wharton et al, 2018). RDs rely on several CPGs as their primary reference to support and provide guidance for best practices in many clinical areas of practice (Maxwell et al, 2019a(Maxwell et al, , 2019bRasmussen & Yaktine, 2009;Wharton et al, 2018Wharton et al, , 2020.…”

Determinant factors associated with the use of evidence‐based dietetics practice among registered dietitian nutritionists

“…Evidence‐based dietetics practice is defined as ‘the process of asking questions, systematically finding research evidence, and assessing its validity, applicability, and importance to nutrition and dietetics practice decisions; and applying relevant evidence in the context of the practice situation, including professional expertise and the values and circumstances of patients/clients, customers, individuals, groups or populations to achieve positive outcomes’ 1 . While client preferences and professional expertise need to be considered when making evidence‐based decisions, it is still imperative that the available research is carefully evaluated 1 . Therefore, the integration of research evidence is a critical component for successful implementation of evidence‐based dietetics practice.…”

‘Backbone of the Profession’ Sets Us Apart

“…CDR requires that programs be evidence-based to be eligible for continuing professional education credit, and the Center for Lifelong Learning requires the use of evidence before providing continuing professional education offerings via webinars and certificates of training. 1 The Academy defines evidence-based practice as "the process of asking questions, systematically finding research evidence, and assessing its validity, applicability and importance to nutrition and dietetics practice decisions; and applying relevant evidence in the context of the practice situation including professional expertise and the values and circumstances of patients/clients, customers, individuals, groups or populations to achieve positive outcomes." 3 As noted in an article in the August 2021 Journal, "Updates to the Definition of Evidence-Based (Dietetics) Practice: Providing Clarity for Practice," the Council on Research created a task force "with the charge of developing tools and criteria for the consistent evaluation of evidence upon which Academy-supported and Academy-generated materials are based."…”

“…The task force identified three main components of evidencebased practice: "best available research evidence, professional expertise and client values and circumstances" [and] acknowledges that the application of evidence-based practice is complex and can vary when discussing a topic with high-quality research vs an emerging topic that may not have sufficient evidence." 1 The article adds: "Although client preferences and professional expertise are important, they cannot be used independent of research evidence, except in the rare case for which no research evidence is available. It is the responsibility of the credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioner to conduct a thorough and systematic search for evidence in order to accurately determine the extent and strength of the evidence available."…”

“…It is the responsibility of the credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioner to conduct a thorough and systematic search for evidence in order to accurately determine the extent and strength of the evidence available." 1 "Other health care professionals expect dietitians to be able to back up their recommendations and provide support for their practice using the latest evidence-based guidance. We build credibility within the larger community of health professionals by sharing research and guidelines in nutrition that they may not even know.…”