MON-PP204: Wards with Good Nutritional Practice are Associated with Better Integration of Clinical Dietitans: a Questionnaire Based Survey Among Doctors and Nurses in Norway

Abstract

Rationale: There are many barriers to good nutritional practice in hospitals; lack of knowledge among doctors and nurses are one of them. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended for good quality nutritional care and the aim of this study was to assess if there were any differences in integration of clinical dietitians between wards with good and insufficient nutritional practice. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to 4000 doctors and nurses. The overall response rate was 22%. The questionnaire contained eleven statements about nutritional routines. The respondents ranked the statements based upon the existing routines in their own ward. Then, all respondents were given a total score and categorized dependent on the quality of the nutritional routines in their ward; (1) wards with good nutritional practice and (2) wards with insufficient nutritional practice. Results: Doctors and nurses working in wards with good nutritional practice reported better knowledge of clinical dietitians, had better access to clinical dietitians and consulted clinical dietitians more often compared to doctors and nurses in wards with insufficient nutritional practice. Clinical dietitians also took part in multidisciplinary meetings more often in wards with good nutritional practice. In addition, the “National guidelines of prevention and treatment of malnutrition” was more known among doctors and nurses working in wards with good nutritional practice, and they also reported that these guidelines had been important during the implementation of their own routines. Conclusion: The present study shows that wards with good nutritional practice are associated with a better integration of clinical dietitians compared to wards with insufficient practice.