Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Calls on Decision Makers to Integrate Registered Dietitian Nutritionists into Emerging Health Care Models

Newswise — CHICAGO – With health care in the United States being the most expensive in the world, why is it that most people do not receive the comprehensive, coordinated care that improves outcomes and reduces costs? This issue is addressed in an article in the December Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

According to the article, “Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Bring Value to Emerging Health Care Delivery Models,” health care in the U.S. “is the most expensive in the world, accounting for 17 percent of the gross national product and estimates put that percentage to 20 percent by 2020. Although the United States spends a significant amount of money on health care, most of our citizens do not receive quality care that is comprehensive and coordinated.”

“To address this gap, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement developed the Triple Aim, defined as simultaneously improving population health, improving the patient experience of care and reducing per-capita cost, as a goal for new health systems that contribute to the overall health of populations while reducing costs…. A high-performing multidisciplinary team is now widely recognized as an essential tool for constructing a more patient-centered, coordinated and effective health care delivery system.”

Evidence shows registered dietitian nutritionists are uniquely qualified to bring value to multidisciplinary teams in providing care for people with a variety of conditions. The article defines the role of registered dietitian nutritionists in the context of new payment models, and urges the involvement of RDNs in meeting the need for high-quality health care “that is comprehensive and coordinated,” as part of the Academy’s efforts to integrate registered dietitian nutritionists into population health management models.

The authors emphasize that RDNs “bring value to this multidisciplinary team by providing care coordination, evidence-based care and quality-improvement leadership. RDNs have demonstrated efficacy for improvements in outcomes for patients with a wide variety of medical conditions. Primary care physicians, as well as several patient-centered medical home and population health demonstration projects, have reported the benefits of RDNs as part of the integrated primary care team.”

According to registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President Sonja L. Connor: “All stakeholders within the health care system need to recognize and embrace the value and multidimensional role of the RDN. Studies confirm positive outcomes and cost-effectiveness of MNT. Moreover, while in the past insufficient reimbursement has been a barrier to integrating RDNs into primary care, newer payment models are breaking down this barrier. As the optimal approach to keeping people healthy involves a team effort, we encourage physicians and other primary care providers to include RDNs as part of their team within the medical neighborhood, either in their offices or via referral.”

“As the population changes to include a greater number of older individuals with multiple chronic diseases, the role of the registered dietitian nutritionist will become even more crucial to effectively manage this population. Primary care practices are not truly offering comprehensive care unless their health care team includes a registered dietitian nutritionist,” Connor said.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics maintains a national, searchable online referral service enabling consumers, health practitioners and decision makers to locate an RDN in their area: http://www.eatright.org/programs/rdnfinder/.

“RDNs are uniquely experienced and positioned to be one of the critical professionals in our U.S. health care model, today and in the future,” Connor said.

“Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Bring Value to Emerging Health Care Delivery Models” is authored by registered dietitian nutritionist Bonnie T. Jortberg, assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Colorado; and Michael O. Fleming, Chief Medical Officer at Amedisys, Inc., Baton Rouge, La., and a clinical assistant professor of family medicine at Louisiana State University and Tulane University.

###

All registered dietitians are nutritionists – but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians. The Academy’s Board of Directors and Commission on Dietetic Registration have determined that those who hold the credential registered dietitian (RD) may optionally use “registered dietitian nutritionist” (RDN) instead. The two credentials have identical meanings.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org.