Nutrition & Dietetics
Overview
The dietary management is an integral part of patient care at the Royal Adelaide Hospital Cancer Centre. People with cancer who maintain a good nutritional state tolerate treatment better and have a better quality of life than people who lose excessive amounts of weight.
Dietitians strive to maintain a high standard of service to patients and staff within the hospital, in addition to a consultative service to dietitians in the community.
Two dietitians (of 1.5 full time equivalents) provide a service to a busy and demanding area. Dietitians in the Cancer Centre work closely with patients and their families and understand the complexity of dietetic management in patients receiving cancer treatment.
ONGOING ACTIVITES
The dietitians provide a service to the current areas including:
- Inpatients of the cancer wards including medical oncology (C6), radiotherapy (B6), palliative care (B6) and haematology (D6).
- Outpatients of the cancer wards (both individual and group education).
- Involvement in food service and nutrition support interventions applicable to the cancer service
- Education sessions to medical and nursing staff, food service staff and other dietitians
- Participation in the training of dietetic students on clinical placement. Lecturing in Nutrition and Dietetics course at the Flinders University of SA.
- Keeping up to date with cancer-related nutrition research.
- Consultative service to other hospitals and community groups in the provision of nutrition information (ie Anti-Cancer Foundation, Dietitians Association of Australia- SA Branch, Leukemia Foundation)
PATIENT SERVICES:
(A) PATIENT EDUCATION
- Individual consultation- these are conducted to inpatients and outpatients
- Group educations are currently available for patients receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Current groups include:
GROUPS |
FREQUENCY |
MEDICAL ONCOLOGY
|
Friday 9:00-10:00 am Weekly Tues 12:00-1:00pm & |
RADIOTHERAPY
|
Wednesdays 1:30-2:30pm Wednesdays 1:30-2:30pm
|
(B) SPECIALISED DIETS
Patients requiring specialised diets during their hospital admission will be referred to the dietitian. In addition to information and education, patients with special needs will be provided with a special menu to suite their dietary needs. Diets including Low Bacteria, Low Listeria and Texture Modified Diets (ie soft, vitamised etc) have been developed to meet the nutritional requirements of the patient during their hospitalisation.
(C) NOURISHING FLUIDS TROLLEY
All inpatients admitted to the Cancer Centre will have access to extra nourishment provided mid-meals via a nourishing fluids trolley, without dietetic referral. This system of providing snacks and nourishing fluids during mid-meals is unique to the cancer centre and supports the dietary recommendations for cancer patients which includes the provision of small, frequent meals, of high energy and protein content.
(D) QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS
Ongoing quality assurance activities conducted in the Cancer Centre have enabled the review of current dietetic practices and the provision of service that is high quality, evidenced based and that is provided in an efficient manner.