Cost-effectiveness of undergraduate programs in dietetics

Area of Science:

• Dietetics education
• Higher education program comparison

Background:

• Traditional undergraduate dietetics programs have been the standard for educating future professionals.
• Coordinated programs represent a newer model for dietetics training.
• Evaluating the comparative effectiveness and cost of different educational pathways is crucial for program development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the cost and effectiveness of traditional undergraduate dietetics programs versus coordinated programs.
• To assess the proportion of graduates from each program type who successfully pass the Registration Examination.

Main Methods:

• A comparative analysis was conducted across six institutions offering both traditional and coordinated dietetics programs.
• Cost was defined as direct instructional cost.
• Effectiveness was measured by the pass rate on the Registration Examination for dietitians.

Main Results:

• Traditional and coordinated programs demonstrated equivalent direct instructional costs.
• The number of graduates was similar between traditional and coordinated programs.
• Traditional programs yielded a lower proportion of graduates eligible for and passing the Registration Examination compared to coordinated programs.

Conclusions:

• Coordinated undergraduate dietetics programs are more effective than traditional programs in preparing students to become registered dietitians.
• Despite similar costs and graduate numbers, traditional programs are less efficient in producing qualified entry-level professionals.
• The findings suggest a need to re-evaluate traditional dietetics curricula to enhance graduate success rates on professional licensure exams.