Dietitians’ practices and perspectives of the delivery of nutritional care to cancer survivors in the primary care setting

Purpose:
The number of people living longer after a cancer diagnosis is increasing. Guidelines for cancer survivorship recommend a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight post-treatment. While cancer survivors often express the need for professional support for nutrition management, few report seeing a dietitian. This study aimed to explore primary care dietitians’ experiences, practices, and perspectives in providing nutritional care to cancer survivors in Australia.

Methods:
This qualitative study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews with primary care dietitians working in private practice and community care. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. A qualitative descriptive methodological approach integrated with a working analytical framework was utilized for coding and data analysis.

Results:
Twenty-four dietitians working in primary care participated. Four themes and 13 sub-themes were identified: (1) diversity in dietetic practice and cancer-related care interactions; (2) accessing referral pathways and funding sources in a complex healthcare system; (3) the application of nutrition education, and upskilling in cancer care; (4) client barriers and dietitians' challenges and factors influencing confidence in cancer care.

Conclusion:
Dietitians in this study highlighted the need for clear referral pathways to primary care particularly as a continuation of cancer-related care following the acute setting. There is a need for tailored support for dietitians supporting people diagnosed with cancer in the primary care setting, including opportunities to upskill in cancer care.