Abstract
It is the position of Dietitians Australia that clients can receive high‐quality and effective dietetic services such as Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) delivered via telehealth. Outcomes of telehealth‐delivered dietetic consultations are comparable to those delivered in‐person, without requiring higher levels of additional training nor compromising quality of service provision. Dietitians Australia recommends that policy makers and healthcare funders broaden the recognition for telehealth‐delivered dietetic consultations as a responsive and cost‐effective alternative or complement to traditional in‐person delivery of dietetic services. The successful implementation of telehealth can help to address health and service inequalities, improve access to effective nutrition services, and support people with chronic disease to optimise their diet‐related health and well‐being, regardless of their location, income or literacy level, thereby addressing current inequities.
Highlights
Nutrition-related chronic diseases are the leading cause of ill health in Australia.[1]
It is the position of Dietitians Australia that clients can receive high-quality and effective dietetic services such as Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) delivered via telehealth
This position statement is informed by a review of the existing literature reporting the effectiveness of telephone and videoconference-delivered consultations by dietitians
Summary
Nutrition-related chronic diseases are the leading cause of ill health in Australia.[1]. In March 2020, the Australian Government temporarily expanded access to Accredited Practising Dietitians (APD) for Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items to deliver telehealth services to Australians with an eligible chronic disease management plan, including videoconference and telephone consultations, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] These changes have encouraged a reframe of traditional models of healthcare delivery into virtual modalities delivered remotely that can continue well after the immediate COVID-19 crisis.[15] The aim of this position statement is to outline the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of telehealth-delivered dietetic consultations, and to translate this evidence to practice and policy recommendations. While weight regain was observed in the 12 months after counselling stopped, physical activity was maintained.[24]
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