The struggle to balance system and lifeworld: Swedish dietitians’ experiences of a standardised nutrition care process and terminology

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn this study, we explored Swedish dietitians’ experiences of a standardised Nutrition Care Process (NCP) and terminology from the perspective of Habermas’ concepts of system and lifeworld. Seven focus group discussions were analysed thematically. In this paper, we argue that dietitians seem to mainly connect the NCP with a system perspective, highlighting aspects such as professionalism, measurability and clarity of the patient record as helpful outcomes from the NCP standardisation. We also see a tension between system and lifeworld, as dietitians emphasised the importance of the dietitian–patient relationship, stating that a patient’s complex situation does not always fit into the pre-defined NCP terms and measurements. Several approaches were identified whereby dietitians tried to reach a balance between the system and lifeworld. We argue that strategies for achieving this balance need more attention in the education and implementation of standardised care processes and terminologies.