Background: Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) are commonly prescribed to patients with malnutrition. Dietitians have been suggested as preferred prescribers but generally lack ONS prescribing rights. How dietitians with prescribing rights experience their professional practice of prescribing ONS remains understudied. Thus, by exploring dietitians' experiences of prescribing ONS, the present study aimed to obtain a deeper understanding of specific aspects that are of importance for dietitians when providing a nutrition therapy including ONS.
Methods: Qualitative individual interviews were conducted with 13 dietitians prescribing ONS to free-living adult outpatients with malnutrition or at nutritional risk in the hospital or primary care setting. Systematic text condensation was used for data analysis.
Results: Two main categories signifying important aspects were identified and labelled: 'Shared tailoring of the ONS prescription' and 'Supporting and facilitating ONS use'. First, the dietitians described tailoring the ONS prescription together with the patient, having their acceptance as a prerequisite, and being flexible regarding products and amounts prescribed. Second, they described performing different communication strategies and organising of practical issues (e.g., ONS delivery and support from others) to support and facilitate patients' ONS usage.
Conclusions: The present study identifies patient involvement and the role of dietitians as behaviour change facilitators as two important aspects when dietitians prescribe ONS. These findings allow for dietitians' ideals and strategies on how to prescribe ONS to be made more visible, which can inform both clinical practice and clinical trials for future improvements in nutrition therapy to address malnutrition.
Keywords: behaviour change; dietitian; malnutrition; oral nutritional supplements; qualitative study.
© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Dietetic Association.