Clinical Research Dietitians provide comprehensive nutrition services to patients at the NIH Clinical Center (CC) of all ages. CC dietitians specialize in a variety of areas including weight management, nutrition support, pediatric nutrition, and diabetes.
Registered Dietitians actively participate as part of the interdisciplinary team, regularly attending rounds. They offer a variety of inpatient and outpatient nutrition care services and interventions:
Inpatient Nutrition Care Services and the Nutrition Care Process
Nutrition Screening
Dietitians collaborate with the with CC Nursing Department to screen patients for nutrition risk within 24 hours of a patient's admission.
Nutrition Assessment
For patients determined to be at nutrition risk, dietitians use standard and innovative assessment and evaluation techniques to customize the nutrition care process for each individual. Dietitians gather information from the following areas to complete the nutrition assessment:
- Food/nutrition-related history
- Biochemical data, present and past medical history
- Anthropometric measurements
- Nutrition-focused physical findings
- Client history
Nutrition Diagnosis
Dietitians use the information obtained during the nutrition assessment to identify and label a specific nutrition diagnosis (problem) by using standardized language. These problems are usually categorized into one or more of three areas: Intake, Clinical, and Behavioral-Environmental.
Nutrition Intervention
Dietitians develop specific actions to remedy a nutrition diagnosis/problem. Working with patients and the healthcare team, dietitians establish mutually agreed upon interventions and goals. These interventions include: nutrition education, nutrition counseling, coordination of care and provision of specific recommendations regarding food and/or nutrients. Dietitians skilled in nutrition support can provide guidance and recommendations for enteral and parenteral feeding.
Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation
Dietitians monitor and quantify the progress made by patients in meeting their nutrition care goals and determine whether the nutrition intervention is successful. Dietitians monitor outcomes by selecting appropriate indicators and revise the interventions and goals as needed based on patient progress.
Outpatient Nutrition Services
All of the above-mentioned nutrition services are available to Clinical Center outpatients through a Nutrition Consult from your primary care provider.