Therapeutic Nutrition & Role of the dietician
INTRODUCTION
Nutrition is one of the basic components of life.
Good nutrition is essential for the maintenance of
optimum, health, prevention of disease and recovery
from illness
Provision of proper attention to nutrition can
remarkably alter the course of illness when it occurs.
Nutrition is an integral part of the medical therapy as
adequate nutrition support is essential to prevent an
extended and complicated hospital stay.
Nutrition care process
Nutritional assessment
Nutritional care plan
Implementation of the plan and evaluating the efficacy
of the nutrition care plan.
DEFINITIONS AND ROLE OF DIETITIAN
IN HEALTH CARE
Dietetics the Science and Art of Human Nutrition
Care
Dietetics has been defined as the science and art of
feeding individuals based on the principles of
Nutrition. It can also be said to be the "science and
art of human nutritional care.
"Dietetics is a study of using the principles of nutrition
in planning suitable diets in health and disease, In
other words, diet therapy and its application in patient
related settings is a major focus of dietetics.
a holistic or encompassing approach of human nutrition and
dietetics.
The body can utilize nutrients only after food is eaten.
Therefore, nutritionists and dieticians need to consider
all those factors which influence or rather determine
what, how, when, why and how much a person eats.
There are various biological, socio-cultural and
environmental factors which affect food choices.
Dietetics optimizes the nutrition of populations and
individuals. Dietetics, therefore require
interdisciplinary approaches since the nutrition and
diet counselling is not only science it is an art.
Factors affecting food choices
CLINICAL DIETETICS & MNT
Clinical Dietetics is the application of dietetics in a hospital or
health care institutional setting. Clinical dietetics focuses on
an individual, nutritional support and symptom management.
Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is defined as the
assessment of the nutritional status of a client followed by
nutritional therapy ranging from diet modification to
specialized nutritional support such as the administration of
enteral and parenteral nutrition and monitoring to evaluate
the patient.
MNT may also be defined as nutritional diagnostic, therapy
and counseling services for the purpose of disease
management.
MEDICAL NUTRITION
THERAPY
MNT starts with the assessment of nutritional status of patient
with a condition, illness or injury that puts them at risk.
This includes the review and analysis of medical and diet
history, laboratory values and anthropometric measurements.
Based on the assessment, a nutrition care plan, most
appropriate to manage the condition or treat the illness or
injury is formulated.
The MNT also includes intervention and evaluation of
achievement of desired clinical outcomes.
Appropriate medical nutrition therapy provided by the dietetics
professional has been shown to result in health benefits and
reduced health care costs.
DIET
Diet also plays a very crucial role in the health and well being of people.
A good and balanced diet improves the quality of life to a great extent,
Poor eating habits and inadequate food intake are the major causes of a
lot of diseases.
Nutrition and dietetics are fields related to this food and nutrition aspect
of life.
The study of nutrition means an understanding of the various components
of food and the role and requirement of each of these components for the
body.
One becomes aware of the right type of food which provides a balanced
mix of the essential vitamins, minerals etc. It also involves a study of the
processes by which the food is digested and absorbed in the body.
This field finds application in medicine, veterinary, agriculture and public
health.
DIETETICS
Dietetics is the interpretation and communication of
the science of nutrition to enable people to make
informed and practical choices about food and
lifestyle, in both health and disease.
A dietician is given training in both hospital and
community settings as a part of their course.
Most dieticians are employed in the hospitals, but may
also work in the food industry, education, research and
on a freelance basis.
Role of Dietician in Health Care
The role of the dietician has come a long way since the
early 1900s. Their role is still unknown to a lot of
people. Some think that dieticians, as their name
implies, only give out diets lo make individuals lose
weight, whereas this is only a small part of their role.
The dietician has a defined role concerning the ethical
issues and dilemmas of nutrition care for patients.
The dietician is the link between the patient and the
medical team or physician in assisting difficult
decision making about nutrition care.
A description of the dietician's role in terms of
managing the nutrition support of a terminally ill
patient may be as follows:
'The dietician needs to continue to play an essential
role in evaluation and decision-making in the
nutritional support of the terminal patient.
No individual is better trained to interpret and
coordinate nutrition issues between the patient and the
other members of the healthcare team in this unique
situation.
Dieticians are engaged in a variety of positions and in
a number of work settings.
Some dieticians do work in food service for students,
in the hotel industry, in employee cafeterias (industrial
canteens), food and pharmaceutical companies, as well
as, in community and public health
services/departments.
Some are also in private practice and may be self-
employed. Nowadays dieticians are also involved in
marketing, sales and journalism
DIETICIAN’S SERVICES
Dieticians services focus on :
- Clinical services
- Public health/community nutrition
- Nutrition information/communication
- Food services
- Wellness/disease prevention
- Nutrition research
-Sports nutrition,
-Cardiovascular fitness,
-Nutrition education of the public, prenatal nutrition,
-Physical medicine and rehabilitation
SKILLS OF DIETICIANS
Dietician's practice/roles are rapidly changing as the
health needs of society change and as the health care
system evolves and develops to meet societal needs.
Beyond the technical knowledge and practical skills
dieticians needs to have communication and
education skill (both oral and written), since they may
be expected to plan, organize, implement and evaluate
nutrition education for individuals, clients and groups.
A good professional dietician should have the ability to
select and/or develop nutrition education materials and
approaches appropriate for a variety of target groups.
Dietician as a helping professional need a variety of
skills:
- Techniques of interviewing
- Techniques of counselling
- Ability to relate to individuals, groups and
individuals
- Effectiveness in bringing about change
- Capacity for self-understanding
- Establishment of professional, interdisciplinary
relationship
- Knowledge of personality, group and societal
dynamics
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