Patient-centered care: Dietitians’ perspectives and experiences
Mckenna Jones, Dennis L. Eggett, Sarah Gunnell Bellini, Pauline Williams, Emily Vaterlaus Patten
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To (1) explore RDNs' descriptions of patient-centered care (PCC), (2) measure Registered Dietitian Nutritionists' (RDNs) preferences for PCC and (3) identify factors that affect RDNs' PCC preferences. METHODS: A survey instrument including two open-ended items exploring RDN descriptions of and experiences with PCC, the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS), and various factors that could influence PCC (e.g., work intensification, work engagement, and work/demographic characteristics) was expert reviewed, pilot tested, and distributed electronically to 4697 RDNs. A regression analysis was conducted, and two open-ended items were qualitatively analyzed. RESULTS: Three themes emerged when RDNs described PCC (n = 375): dietitian/patient relationship (95.7%), organizational influence (64.4%), and interprofessional teams (26.3%). RDNs (n = 318) scored 4.60/6 on the PPOS. Higher levels of work engagement were predictive of higher PPOS scores, and heavier workloads were predictive of lower PPOS scores (p < 0.05). Primary work position also influenced PPOS scores (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: RDNs have varying personal definitions of and experiences with PCC, however there are common themes. RDNs generally prefer PCC and score moderately high on the PPOS. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: To strengthen preferences for PCC, managers should create manageable workloads and prioritize work engagement. Continued emphasis on interprofessional collaboration with and organizational promotion of RDNs could improve PCC.