Exploring the person-centredness of dietitian prescribing in CKD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A study to explore the views and experiences of people living with kidney disease who have had tablets prescribed by a dietitian.
IRAS ID
318919
Contact name
Nicola Ruddock
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London South Bank University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Following a change to legislation in 2016, registered dietitians can now prescribe medicines on completion of additional training. Although this is a new role extension for the dietetic profession, other non-medical healthcare professionals (HCPs) have been prescribing for some time. Non-medical prescribing (NMP) allows the healthcare workforce to be more flexible, meaning that non-medical HCPs can address patient needs directly, which is more person-centred.
Previous studies have explored NMP from multiple viewpoints, however, currently none exist on dietitian prescribing and this needs to be explored. As person-centred care (PCC) is a cornerstone of good prescribing practice and is also a key priority in all areas of healthcare (NHS England, 2019; Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 2021), exploring the person-centredness of this new role would be invaluable and contemporary.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a clinical area where dietitians are now prescribing. Poor adherence with medications in CKD is well-documented, however, working with a more person-centred approach may help with adherence (Mechta Nielsen et al., 2018). Therefore, this clinical area provides an opportunity to evaluate dietitian prescribing.
Research question: How does dietitian prescribing for those with CKD align with PCC?
This IRAS application concerns the study of patient perspectives of dietitian prescribing. An additional phase exploring person-centred practice has received ethical approval from university.Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with patients who have experienced dietitian prescribing. All adults (>18 years) with CKD and the ability to conduct an interview in English are eligible to take part.
Participants will be recruited from the clinical caseloads of 3 volunteer dietitian prescribers working in 3 different Kidney Centres in the UK. The aim is for 5 patients to be recruited from each of the dietitian prescribers (total 15 patients). Once consented, interviews will be undertaken.Data collection will occur across 12 months once permissions are obtained.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/1545
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jan 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion