Effective communication is paramount for patient engagement .
Gaps in communication
These findings highlight a lack of clarity regarding how well inpatients with , or at risk of , malnutrition are engaged in key nutrition care processes . Acute admissions only last so long , so it ’ s vital dietitians empower patients with information while they are in hospital so they can manage their nutrition at home .
The researchers attempted to uncover the reason for this lack of patient engagement . Was it due to an unreasonable and overwhelming demand for dietitians to deliver individualised nutrition care ? We know a large number of inpatients are screened as ' at risk of malnutrition ', and many healthcare systems lack the resources for every patient to be seen by a dietitian prior to their discharge . However , in this particular study , of the 106 patients diagnosed with malnutrition , just one was not seen by a dietitian , which suggests there are factors other than dietetic services overload .
An alternate hypothesis is that the messaging is simply lost in translation . Patient engagement is shaped by the relationship between the patient and care provider , and effective communication is paramount for patient engagement . Results may indicate a need for improvements in dietitian communications with older patients , for example , around the nuancing of the medical terminology applied . Consider an elderly patient with cognitive impairment in an unfamiliar environment
© Dietitian Connection 24 Infuse | October 2023