Evidence-Based Practice: Key to Success

Abstract

In today’s health-care environment, we confront countless challenges. Among the most urgent is increasing demand and reimbursement for registered dietitians’ (RDs’) services, thereby increasing our value. I believe success in that area and the survival of our profession both depend substantially on how well and how quickly we adopt the evidence-based approach to practice.Recent DevelopmentsADA has put in place a comprehensive and sustainable plan to benefit all members with tools and resources to support evidence-based practice. Here are a few recent developments:•The Evidence Analysis Library has received over 1.8 million page views since its launch. Resources include evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines on pediatric weight management, adult weight management, critical illness, and disorders of lipid metabolism, with a companion toolkit. Guidelines for oncology and hypertension are scheduled to be published in 2007. To make it easier to access evidence summaries, a link to the Evidence Analysis Library has been added to ADA’s home page at www.eatright.org.•The newest toolkit to support the adult weight-management guideline includes all components of the Nutrition Care Process and incorporates the standardized language terminology for nutrition diagnoses, interventions, and monitoring/evaluating.•ADA published an evidence-based position on pediatric weight management, and an evidence-based position on nutrition and athletic performance is being co-developed with Dietitians of Canada.•More than 450 members have enrolled in the Dietetics Practice-Based Research Network, ready to participate in research to improve the day-to-day practice and delivery of services.•The Peer Network for Evidence-based Practice will let members with expertise in the Nutrition Care Process assist fellow members to implement nutrition practice guidelines in their work.•ADA’s Web site contains downloadable PowerPoint presentations and other resources on how to implement the Nutrition Care Process. Visit www.eatright.org/governance for a great deal of information.•On September 29 in Philadelphia, PA, prior to the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo’s Opening Session, a workshop will be offered on “Real-World Applications of the Nutrition Care Process, Evidence-based Nutrition Practice Guidelines and Toolkits.”Demonstrate ValueADA is committed to helping make evidence-based practice a reality for you. Still, reinforcing what I wrote last month, the initiative must come from within, not from Chicago. Here are just two ways ADA members are taking the initiative to demonstrate our value through evidence:•A project is under way with Blue Cross-Blue Shield of North Carolina to evaluate the company’s new coverage of medical nutrition therapy and lifestyle case management for obesity and chronic disease. Medical nutrition therapy is being provided by more than 30 RDs using the weight-management guidelines, nutrition diagnostic terms, and standardized language. “It has been an interesting process, to have RDs in private practice become research dietitians,” says Gwen Murphy, PhD, one of the project’s primary investigators. “They have to code everything they do, and we have over 100 variables to collect data on.” She says the ultimate goal is “to show registered dietitians can help patients lose weight cost-effectively in terms of total utilization of services.” The researchers expect to begin publishing their results next year.•With the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois, eight RDs provided MNT for diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, chronic renal disease, and other conditions to half of the 2,400 Medicare enrollees at Carle outpatient clinics in central Illinois. ADA is funding data collection and analysis to document improved health outcomes for these patients. Carol Shriver, MS, RD, Medicare Coordinated Care Demonstration registered dietitian, says the study will go far toward “proving how important we are.” She’s seen indications already: “As a result of our using the new nutrition diagnostic terminology in notes, I’ve gotten comments from physicians and nurses who said they never realized we did so much.”More than SurvivalThe evidence-based approach gives us the opportunity to take our profession in new directions; to grow, to enjoy all our future has to offer.Evidence-based practice lets us do better than survive, it lets us thrive. In today’s health-care environment, we confront countless challenges. Among the most urgent is increasing demand and reimbursement for registered dietitians’ (RDs’) services, thereby increasing our value. I believe success in that area and the survival of our profession both depend substantially on how well and how quickly we adopt the evidence-based approach to practice. Recent DevelopmentsADA has put in place a comprehensive and sustainable plan to benefit all members with tools and resources to support evidence-based practice. Here are a few recent developments:•The Evidence Analysis Library has received over 1.8 million page views since its launch. Resources include evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines on pediatric weight management, adult weight management, critical illness, and disorders of lipid metabolism, with a companion toolkit. Guidelines for oncology and hypertension are scheduled to be published in 2007. To make it easier to access evidence summaries, a link to the Evidence Analysis Library has been added to ADA’s home page at www.eatright.org.•The newest toolkit to support the adult weight-management guideline includes all components of the Nutrition Care Process and incorporates the standardized language terminology for nutrition diagnoses, interventions, and monitoring/evaluating.•ADA published an evidence-based position on pediatric weight management, and an evidence-based position on nutrition and athletic performance is being co-developed with Dietitians of Canada.•More than 450 members have enrolled in the Dietetics Practice-Based Research Network, ready to participate in research to improve the day-to-day practice and delivery of services.•The Peer Network for Evidence-based Practice will let members with expertise in the Nutrition Care Process assist fellow members to implement nutrition practice guidelines in their work.•ADA’s Web site contains downloadable PowerPoint presentations and other resources on how to implement the Nutrition Care Process. Visit www.eatright.org/governance for a great deal of information.•On September 29 in Philadelphia, PA, prior to the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo’s Opening Session, a workshop will be offered on “Real-World Applications of the Nutrition Care Process, Evidence-based Nutrition Practice Guidelines and Toolkits.” ADA has put in place a comprehensive and sustainable plan to benefit all members with tools and resources to support evidence-based practice. Here are a few recent developments:•The Evidence Analysis Library has received over 1.8 million page views since its launch. Resources include evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines on pediatric weight management, adult weight management, critical illness, and disorders of lipid metabolism, with a companion toolkit. Guidelines for oncology and hypertension are scheduled to be published in 2007. To make it easier to access evidence summaries, a link to the Evidence Analysis Library has been added to ADA’s home page at www.eatright.org.•The newest toolkit to support the adult weight-management guideline includes all components of the Nutrition Care Process and incorporates the standardized language terminology for nutrition diagnoses, interventions, and monitoring/evaluating.•ADA published an evidence-based position on pediatric weight management, and an evidence-based position on nutrition and athletic performance is being co-developed with Dietitians of Canada.•More than 450 members have enrolled in the Dietetics Practice-Based Research Network, ready to participate in research to improve the day-to-day practice and delivery of services.•The Peer Network for Evidence-based Practice will let members with expertise in the Nutrition Care Process assist fellow members to implement nutrition practice guidelines in their work.•ADA’s Web site contains downloadable PowerPoint presentations and other resources on how to implement the Nutrition Care Process. Visit www.eatright.org/governance for a great deal of information.•On September 29 in Philadelphia, PA, prior to the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo’s Opening Session, a workshop will be offered on “Real-World Applications of the Nutrition Care Process, Evidence-based Nutrition Practice Guidelines and Toolkits.” Demonstrate ValueADA is committed to helping make evidence-based practice a reality for you. Still, reinforcing what I wrote last month, the initiative must come from within, not from Chicago. Here are just two ways ADA members are taking the initiative to demonstrate our value through evidence:•A project is under way with Blue Cross-Blue Shield of North Carolina to evaluate the company’s new coverage of medical nutrition therapy and lifestyle case management for obesity and chronic disease. Medical nutrition therapy is being provided by more than 30 RDs using the weight-management guidelines, nutrition diagnostic terms, and standardized language. “It has been an interesting process, to have RDs in private practice become research dietitians,” says Gwen Murphy, PhD, one of the project’s primary investigators. “They have to code everything they do, and we have over 100 variables to collect data on.” She says the ultimate goal is “to show registered dietitians can help patients lose weight cost-effectively in terms of total utilization of services.” The researchers expect to begin publishing their results next year.•With the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois, eight RDs provided MNT for diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, chronic renal disease, and other conditions to half of the 2,400 Medicare enrollees at Carle outpatient clinics in central Illinois. ADA is funding data collection and analysis to document improved health outcomes for these patients. Carol Shriver, MS, RD, Medicare Coordinated Care Demonstration registered dietitian, says the study will go far toward “proving how important we are.” She’s seen indications already: “As a result of our using the new nutrition diagnostic terminology in notes, I’ve gotten comments from physicians and nurses who said they never realized we did so much.” ADA is committed to helping make evidence-based practice a reality for you. Still, reinforcing what I wrote last month, the initiative must come from within, not from Chicago. Here are just two ways ADA members are taking the initiative to demonstrate our value through evidence:•A project is under way with Blue Cross-Blue Shield of North Carolina to evaluate the company’s new coverage of medical nutrition therapy and lifestyle case management for obesity and chronic disease. Medical nutrition therapy is being provided by more than 30 RDs using the weight-management guidelines, nutrition diagnostic terms, and standardized language. “It has been an interesting process, to have RDs in private practice become research dietitians,” says Gwen Murphy, PhD, one of the project’s primary investigators. “They have to code everything they do, and we have over 100 variables to collect data on.” She says the ultimate goal is “to show registered dietitians can help patients lose weight cost-effectively in terms of total utilization of services.” The researchers expect to begin publishing their results next year.•With the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois, eight RDs provided MNT for diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, chronic renal disease, and other conditions to half of the 2,400 Medicare enrollees at Carle outpatient clinics in central Illinois. ADA is funding data collection and analysis to document improved health outcomes for these patients. Carol Shriver, MS, RD, Medicare Coordinated Care Demonstration registered dietitian, says the study will go far toward “proving how important we are.” She’s seen indications already: “As a result of our using the new nutrition diagnostic terminology in notes, I’ve gotten comments from physicians and nurses who said they never realized we did so much.” More than SurvivalThe evidence-based approach gives us the opportunity to take our profession in new directions; to grow, to enjoy all our future has to offer.Evidence-based practice lets us do better than survive, it lets us thrive. The evidence-based approach gives us the opportunity to take our profession in new directions; to grow, to enjoy all our future has to offer. Evidence-based practice lets us do better than survive, it lets us thrive.