A survey of dietitians' work in hospitals in the United Kingdom

Elliot, Edith; Heald, Jean; Lauder, Norma M.; Lee, Christine; Moffatt, Pamela; Powell, Gwen; Catterick, Janet; Wheeler, Erica F.

doi:10.3109/09637487809144527

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…However, these studies included all patient‐related care activities as ‘direct patient care’ whereas the current study defines direct patient care as face‐to‐face time with the patients. A UK study found hospital dietitians spent 25% in direct inpatient care 7 and this figure is similar to larger US studies, which quoted figures in the range 23–26% 8,14,15 . Despite different methodologies, all studies examining dietitians' work practices show a consistent range of between 18% and 25% in face‐to‐face time with the patient.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

“…The profession of dietetics was born in the hospital environment 2,3 and the hospital sector continues to provide employment for a large proportion of the workforce in Australia, 4 the UK and USA 5,6 . The few studies that have examined work practices of hospital dietitians have investigated the area using a variety of methods including simple descriptions of time investment across a range of activities, to an extensive analysis of work patterns to produce an algorithm to assist managers in predicting staffing requirements 7,8 . This pilot study is the first direct observational study examining work activities of hospital dietitians and so may be of interest to dietitians and managers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The results of a pilot time‐and‐motion study in three Australian hospitals: Where do we spend our time?

Milosavljevic

Williams

Perez

et al. 2011

Nutrition & Dietetics

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Aim: To quantify the time nine dietitians spend on different tasks in the inpatient setting and to describe the main dietetic goals for the patients managed. Methods: We used a direct non‐participatory observational method and observed hospital dietitians during a typical work shift. The data were then sorted into six categories. Results: A total of 286 hours and 45 minutes was observed across two collection time periods. On average the dietitians spent 18.3% in direct patient contact, 40.4% in indirect patient support activities, 13.5% in administrative tasks, 4.5% in research and education and 3.8% in travel and miscellaneous tasks. Dietetic goals of patients seen during this time, as identified by the dietitians were; to increase energy intake (48%), decrease energy intake (3%), improve dietary knowledge(15%), to improve or manage clinical symptoms (7%) and to meet enteral or parental requirements(11%). Conclusion: Knowing how the dietitians in the present study spend their time affords an opportunity to reflect on how these tasks contribute to the overall goals of the department. Furthermore, it provides baseline data for additional research into the area of dietetic work activities, which could be evaluated across a wider range of services and hospitals.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The results of a pilot time‐and‐motion study in three Australian hospitals: Where do we spend our time?

Milosavljevic

Williams

Perez

et al. 2011

Nutrition & Dietetics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In these studies, the doctors spent an average of 15.0–24.5% of their day face‐to‐face with patients, with the other main tasks being communication and coordination of care . A UK study published in 1978 reported that hospital dietitians spent 20.3% of their time face‐to‐face with patients . It was difficult to ascertain the direct time from some of the studies due to the use of different terminology for this study's descriptor ‘direct patient care’.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Those studies who have examined hospital dietetic work practice have been conducted overseas in the United States of America, Canada or the United Kingdom. The most common methodology used has been self‐reported data collection that focused on detailed descriptions of the type and range of services, the efficiency and efficacy of service, and the determination of appropriate staffing levels and to investigate role expectations . These studies do provide an interesting historical perspective, but they are neither current nor reflective of contemporary dietetic practice in Australian public hospitals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Day‐to‐day activities of clinical dietitians working in the inpatient and outpatient settings in a group of New South Wales public hospitals: The results of a direct observational study

Milosavljevic

Noble

Zaremba

2014

Nutrition & Dietetics

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Aim:To describe the daily tasks undertaken by dietitians working within the inpatient and outpatient sectors within the NSW public hospital system. Methods: This study used an ethnographic methodology that employed a direct, non-participatory, discontinuous, observational technique to observe hospital dietitians, in both outpatient and inpatient settings, during a typical work shift. Trained volunteer observers collected the data over a three-year period (2008, 2009 and 2010). The data were combined and then sorted into five categories including: direct patient care, indirect patient care, communication, administration and education of self or others. Results: A total of 609 hours and 21 minutes were observed across a three-year time period 2008-2010. On average, the dietitians in both inpatient and outpatient settings spent 18.3-32.2% of their time in direct patient care activities. The majority of time was spent in indirect patient care activities such as: information collection, documentation and discussion with other health-care professionals. A comparison between the two work settings showed that those dietitians working in the inpatient setting spent less time in direct patient care (18.3% vs 33.1%, P < 0.05), and more time in indirect care activities (41.7% vs 23.3%, P < 0.05) and in communication about patient care (22.7% vs 14.4%, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The findings show that dietitians spend most of their time doing activities that support patient care, but these activities occur away from the patient.

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A survey of dietitians' work in hospitals in the United Kingdom

Cited by 2 publications

References 1 publication

The results of a pilot time‐and‐motion study in three Australian hospitals: Where do we spend our time?

The results of a pilot time‐and‐motion study in three Australian hospitals: Where do we spend our time?

Day‐to‐day activities of clinical dietitians working in the inpatient and outpatient settings in a group of New South Wales public hospitals: The results of a direct observational study

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