Doctors' Perception and Needs on Clinical Nutrition Services in Hospitals

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perception and needs of doctors on clinical nutrition services. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The doctors' perception and needs were assessed by questionnaires that had been specifically designed for the study. The research was conducted from February 14 to March 15, 2011 for 544 doctors at 42 large hospitals (with over 400 beds). Ninety-eight percent of doctors responded that clinical nutrition service was important. The mean scores of importance on clinical nutrition service were 4.45 for 'nutrition screening at admission', 4.50 for 'treatment of malnutrition', and 4.43 for 'nutrition education and counseling'. The mean scores of needs for clinical nutrition service were 4.42 for 'individual nutrition counseling & education' 4.39 for 'nutrition management for malnourished patients' and 'nutrition management for tube fed patients'. The medical specialists showed significantly (P＜0.01) higher scores than the residents on the importance and needs for clinical nutrition services. Eighty-five percent of the doctors recognized the necessity of the specialized dietitians classified by diseases. The medical specialists (93.8%) showed significantly (P＜0.01) higher recognition of this necessity than the residents (77.7%). The low residents' perceptions of the importance and needs for clinical nutrition services will necessitate clinical nutrition education plans. The departments of clinical nutrition in universities should improve the ability and skills of the clinical dietitians.

A New Paradigm for Clinical Nutrition Services in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

“…This was an opportunity to confirm the importance of a clinical dietitian in charge of clinical nutrition services [ 20 ]. Actually, medical staffs generally recognized that clinical nutrition service was important in a patient treatment, the demand for clinical nutrition services was high, and the demand of clinical nutrition professional for each disease was also high [ 21 ]. It is emphasized that the positive recognition of the medical staff on the qualitative effect of clinical nutrition services in patient treatment is more desirable than that of the medical staff on the provision of clinical nutrition services [ 22 ].…”

Development of Job Standards for Clinical Nutrition Therapy for Dyslipidemia Patients

“…In South Korea, for systematic and intensified dietary management in clinics and hospitals, the Korean goverment legislated certification system for government certified clinical dietitians in 2010 and began this certification system in 2012 to foster government-certified clinical dietitians who will perform nutrition assessment, nutrition consultation, and nutrition monitoring and evaluation [ 13 ]. Professional clinical nutrition service has been reported to have positive effects on reducing length of stay (LOS) and medical costs of patients [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], and Korean medical staff of the clinical nutrition services for disease management are always in high demands in Korea [ 17 ]. In the U.S., joint commission on accreditation of health organization (JCAHO) and academy of nutrition & dietetics (AND, former American dietetic association) participated in developing nutrition care standard for clinical dietitians in planning of diet therapy [ 18 ] and AND proposed standards of practice (SOP) and standard of professional performance (SOPP) for clinical dietitians [ 19 , 20 ].…”