Introduction Dietary interventions are part of the therapy approach in
gastrointestinal disorders. However, guidance on what outcomes to assess (in the
form of a core outcome set) for dietitians to demonstrate the effectiveness of
their interventions is lacking. This study provides preliminary work for the
development of a core outcome set to systematically assess outcomes of nutrition
therapy in clients with gastrointestinal complaints by examining how
monitoring/evaluation are conducted by dietitians.
Methods This is a quantitative online survey for dietitians to assess the
current situation around the globe concerning monitoring and evaluation. An
online survey with 26 questions divided into six sections (rated importance,
implementation, resources/obstacles, instrument requirements,
statistical questions and experiences with the Nutrition Care Process) was
developed. The questionnaire was available in English, French and German.
Results In total 740 responses were analysed.
Monitoring/evaluation of clients with gastrointestinal symptoms was
rated by 98% to be quite important to very important. The systematic
implementation of monitoring and evaluation according to a concept/model
was rated by 57% as 'rather often' to 'very
often/always'.
Conclusion Dietitians are aware of the importance of the measurability of
dietetic interventions. The most dominant barriers are lacking time in daily
practice and lack of a suitable monitoring/evaluation instrument. A
suitable core outcome set in the field of gastrointestinal complaints is needed
to increase systematic monitoring/evaluation.
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