Summary of an Article in the Dietetics Field

            In R. P. Cant and R. A. Aroni’s article, “Exploring dietitians’ verbal and nonverbal communication skills for effective dietitian-patient communication,”   a two-part study is conducted to learn about how communication plays a role in the relationship between dietitians and their clients. 

            To begin with, the authors provide a brief summary of what is already known, or at least expected, of a good customer-professional relationship in the health field.  The importance of this study is quickly brought up by contrasting the common beliefs of relationships between nurses and their patients versus dietitians and their clients.  It is very easy to understand the connection between a nurse and a patient because most people can relate to the experience and will more often than not comment on how “communication and issues of trust are linked to a perception of competence.”  Most people strongly desire such a quality in the person who is assigned to take care of them because in most cases, being communicative and dependable is what results in feeling cared for.  In the case of dietitians, however, not much information is known, at least not on the same level of public knowledge as the nurses’ situation.  The data we have on dietitians is almost always about the outcome of a client’s progress under the dietitians’ instruction.  There has very seldom been any research investigating the relationship between the client and the dietitian that doesn't have to do with simply educating the client about what the expert knows.  Due to this lack of information in the dietetics field, the first part of the investigation was launched. 

To find data about communication, researchers first had to tailor a questionnaire for dietitians to determine how THEY felt about their relationships with their clients.  A questionnaire was developed and response entries were submitted online in 2006 to have practicing dietitians evaluate themselves about certain skills, methods, strategies, and characteristics in terms of customer service.   The results of the questionnaire were processed and clustered into four domains of communication competence.  The four domains were: interpersonal, nonverbal, professional, and counseling competence.   These domains became the basis for the second part of the communication investigation in dietetics. 

From the results of the second part, the researchers concluded that the goal in effective communication is to maintain a non-hierarchical role with the client.  A good example to use as a perspective would be the ability to “empathize without judgment.”  Empathy is the key to having a healthy relationship with the client but first the dietitians have to be provided the opportunity to empathize, which is overcoming the barrier between their clients when the dietitians themselves are perceived as a total stranger.  The researchers suggest that decreasing unpredictability in the relationship would help break the image of a stranger.  To do so, dietitians were instructed to outline the sessions ahead of them and account for all types of unpredictability.  Furthermore, nonverbal communication can be of tremendous help when trying to gain a trusty communication with their client. 

When comparing the results across the different areas of the field, research shows that no notable difference was prevalent in the way that dietitians evaluated themselves.  The results also indicate that displaying positive amounts of interpersonal, nonverbal, professional, and counseling communication is a “desirable” trait that clients appreciate when their dietitians are conveying nutritional education with them.  This makes it simpler when it comes to implementing the value of communication for future dietitians, regardless of where they practice.  Therefore, the end result of the study proves that communication, both verbal and nonverbal, in the dietetics field is just as important as in any other profession.

Works Cited

Cant, R. P. and Aroni, R. A. (2008), Exploring dietitians’ verbal and nonverbal communication skills for effective dietitian–patient communication. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 21: 502–511.