Evaluation of Dietitian Counselling Access Revealed Reduced Pediatrician-Reported Hospital Admissions and Increased Parental Knowledge and Confidence.
Based on a 1999 needs assessment a pediatric community-based outpatient dietitian counselling service was created. By 2010 annual referrals had grown to almost 1500 (62% from physicians; 38% from public health nurses). An evaluation was undertaken to gather perspectives of practitioners and parents about access, satisfaction, referral practices, and changes in knowledge, attitudes, behaviour, and child well-being. Health professionals surveyed via email were 62 pediatricians (response rate 71%), 25 family physicians (21%), 87 public health nurses (31%), and 7 dietitian providers (100%). Parents (n = 93, response rate 75% of those contacted) were interviewed by telephone. Pediatricians reported a significantly lower rate of 7% (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.8%-23%) for admitting children to hospital to access a dietitian, compared to 1999 of 39% (95% CI, 22%-59%) (P = 0.005). Health professionals reported a high degree of agreement on benefits of the service to their practice and on child health problems and a high degree of satisfaction with the service. Parents reported gaining knowledge (76%), confidence (93%), and making behaviour changes in foods offered (77%). Our evaluation demonstrated health practitioners saw a need for access to dietitians for pediatric dietitian counselling and parents reported more confidence and improved child feeding practices after dietitian counselling.
a Nutrition Services, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB.
Katherine Kay
KK
Watson-Jarvis
a Nutrition Services, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB.
Lorna
L
Driedger
a Nutrition Services, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB.|b Department of Community Health Sciences, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, O'Brien Institute for Public Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.
Tanis R
TR
Fenton
D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003376:Counseling; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D064686:Nutritionists; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D000072143:Pediatricians; D010372:Pediatrics; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data