Individuals' perceptions and expectations of nutrition care provided by doctors in Australia: A focus group study

Doctors are well placed to facilitate nutrition care to support dietary improvements due, in part, to their regular contact with their patients. Limited literature exists which explores the perspective of patients regarding the nutrition care provided by medical professionals across the continuum of care. This article explores the perspective of patients regarding perceptions of nutrition advice and care received from doctors and expectations of this care, including key skills and attributes the patients perceive as important.

Six online focus groups were conducted with Australian service users (n=32).

Framework analysis identified four key themes: perceptions of doctors' role in nutrition care, expectations and experiences; the importance of individualised care; barriers and enablers to nutrition care; and topics, skills and attributes perceived as important in nutrition care.

Patients have a desire for individualised and collaborative nutrition care but experienced systemic barriers in practice.