Survey of dietetic provision for patients with diabetes

Citation
M. Nelson et al., Survey of dietetic provision for patients with diabetes, DIABET MED, 17(8), 2000, pp. 565-571
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
Endocrynology, Metabolism & Nutrition
Journal title
DIABETIC MEDICINE
ISSN journal
07423071 → ACNP
Volume
17
Issue
8
Year of publication
2000
Pages
565 - 571
Database
ISI
SICI code
0742-3071(200008)17:8<565:SODPFP>2.0.ZU;2-N
Abstract
Aims To survey dietitians involved in diabetes care regarding the provision s for patients with diabetes. Methods A national survey of 512 dietitians known to be engaged in provisio n of diabetes care was conducted in 1997 and 391 (76%) responded. Results Nationally the median provision of dietetic care for diabetes repor ted was 10.7 h per 100 000 general population per week, bur the provision w as uneven ranging from 2.0 to 27.6 h per 100 000. Eighty-five per cent of d ietitians worked in areas where the provision was less than 22 h per 100 00 0 general population per week (the current recommended minimum standard). D ietetic provision was greater in secondary care (median 9.1h per 100 000 ge neral population per week) than in general practice, residential homes and other locations (median 4.4 h per 100 000 general population per week). Pro vision was greater in those areas in which a designated dietitian had respo nsibility for co-ordinating the dietetic service for diabetes than in areas where the co-ordinator was not a dietitian or where there was no co-ordina tor. Over 90% of dietitians reported following British Diabetic Association (BDA) recommendations regarding advice on carbohydrate, sugar, fat and fib re consumption, but only one-third routinely advised on salt restriction. O f the 17% of dietitians who continue to use carbohydrate exchanges, all com bine this method with other approaches. Of the recommendations made by the Clinical Standards Group, only 69% of dietitians reported seeing more than half of newly diagnosd adult patients within four weeks, and less than 50% reported offering half or more of their patients an annual review. Amongst the literature in current use, 98% of dietitians use BDA literature for tea ching patients and 90% use BDA publications in their own education. Seventy -six per cent of dietitians believed that there was a role for commercial s limming organizations in weight management of people with diabetes Conclusions Given the proven value of dietetic input in diabetes management , there would be advantages to correcting the regional inequalities in diet etic provision for diabetes care in the UK.