Assessment of the Dietary Consultation and Patient Education Practices in the Hospital Dietetics

한국 병원 영양실의 환자 영양 교육 실행 현황에 관한 실태조사

A total of 35 hospitals throughout Korea were surveyed for the assessment of the educational function of dietitians. The current situation and the depth of practices were diagnosed in such areas as: 1. The continuing education for the hospital dietitians 2. The characteristics of patient consultation performed by the hospital dietitians 3. Systems and methods of patient instruction practiced by the dietitians, and 4. Prospectives in establishing the nutrition education center for the in-and out-patients. The major findings are: 1. Approximately half of the hospital dietitians feel positive about the practicality of their college education for the job. Extremely small number of them are on any kind of continuing education program 2) The monthly average of only 20 patients at one hospital receive diet consultation or nutrition education service from dietitians. The 50% of the consultation cases is taken up by the patients with diabetes and various circulartory diseases followed by the tube feedings, liver and renal diseases with less frequencies 3) Not even a single hospital has an office for the diet consultation and nutrition education for the in-or out-patients. Very few hospital dietetics have educational aids and/or any feedback system to evaluate the effect of the consultation. Charting is not practiced by most dietitians leaving no record of their contributions to the patient care. 4) Although the necessity of the nutrition education center in the hospital is strong1y recognized among dietitians the progress has been blocked by such obstacles as the poor system in the hospital administration in general, short in funds, lack of preparation in the dietetics and the lack of recognition both by the hospital administration and by the dietitian themselves.