Article type
Abstract
Background: High-quality dietary guidelines are the pinnacle to facilitate evidence-based practice (EBP) for dietitians. Unfortunately, the development of Belgian evidence-based dietary guidelines (with adequate quality indicators) is limited. In a cooperation between Belgium and the Netherlands, 5 EBP sources have been developed on various topics with a strict methodology and certified by CEBAM (Belgian Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine). Making guidelines available to dietitians via a website only (via www.ebpnet.be) is insufficient to facilitate their use. To promote good implementation and providing accurate nutritional treatment to patients, it is important to know the indicators, bottlenecks, and success factors.
Objective: Development of an implementation plan with efficient strategies for the implementation of dietary guidelines in the daily practice of primary care dietitians
Methods: To develop an implementation plan, the methodology of Peters et al. (2020) was followed: first, a literature review on know-do gap for following recommendations from guidelines with barriers, success factors, and quality indicators was conducted. Second, dietitians participated in a Delphi survey to detect needs on what recommendations, barriers, and success factors should be addressed. After that, a proposal for implementation was prepared based on a combination of implementation strategies. Finally, a focus group with dietitians took place to discuss the feasibility of the implementation plan.
Results: Dietary guidelines for the management of diabetes type 1, heart failure, hypertension, bariatric surgery, and chronic constipation were developed. Additionally, a set of quality indicators per EBP source were selected during a Delphi procedure based on feasibility to measure and record in dietitian practice.
Discussion: This was the first collaboration where dietary EBP sources were developed and implemented based on a strict protocol by 2 countries, considering the different healthcare contexts and languages. The guidelines will become available in the Dutch (www.dieetbehandelingsrichtlijnen.nl) and Belgian bilingual database (www.ebpnet.be). By using a literature review, taxonomy, Delphi survey, and focus group, an overall implementation plan was developed for the integration of dietary guidelines into practice.
Objective: Development of an implementation plan with efficient strategies for the implementation of dietary guidelines in the daily practice of primary care dietitians
Methods: To develop an implementation plan, the methodology of Peters et al. (2020) was followed: first, a literature review on know-do gap for following recommendations from guidelines with barriers, success factors, and quality indicators was conducted. Second, dietitians participated in a Delphi survey to detect needs on what recommendations, barriers, and success factors should be addressed. After that, a proposal for implementation was prepared based on a combination of implementation strategies. Finally, a focus group with dietitians took place to discuss the feasibility of the implementation plan.
Results: Dietary guidelines for the management of diabetes type 1, heart failure, hypertension, bariatric surgery, and chronic constipation were developed. Additionally, a set of quality indicators per EBP source were selected during a Delphi procedure based on feasibility to measure and record in dietitian practice.
Discussion: This was the first collaboration where dietary EBP sources were developed and implemented based on a strict protocol by 2 countries, considering the different healthcare contexts and languages. The guidelines will become available in the Dutch (www.dieetbehandelingsrichtlijnen.nl) and Belgian bilingual database (www.ebpnet.be). By using a literature review, taxonomy, Delphi survey, and focus group, an overall implementation plan was developed for the integration of dietary guidelines into practice.