Evidence‐based practice: are dietitians willing and able?

Aim : To investigate the extent of involvement by dietitians in publication in peer‐reviewed journals, and their willingness and self‐perceived ability to undertake work to evaluate their practice and other barriers to this. Methods : A questionnaire was compiled and distributed at the Diamond Jubilee Conference of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) 1996. Results : One hundred and eighty‐three questionnaires were returned (37%). Respondents worked in several locations (47% hospital, 27% community, 15% hospital and community) and represented a range of grades (basic 5%, senior 55%, chief and manager 33%). Thirteen per cent of respondents were first author of a paper. Thirty‐two per cent of respondents had been involved in publication of a paper or abstract. ‘Publishers’ had been qualified significantly longer than ‘non‐publishers’ ( P < 0.001). The majority of respondents agreed with statements suggesting that a dietitian should undertake research but ‘non‐publishers’ were significantly more likely to agree with statements suggesting that they lacked confidence in their ability ( P < 0.001). Time was viewed as a constraint but ‘publishers’ agreed significantly ( P < 0.001) less often with the statement that ‘they felt they couldn’t use time for planning a project instead of seeing patients’. Funding was perceived as a barrier by some respondents. Conclusion : Dietitians must increase the evidence‐base of their practice in the NHS. This study suggests that they are willing, but not all perceive themselves as able because of perceived skill‐level and time constraints. Suggestions are made to address these barriers.