Perceptions and Utilization of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Multiple Sclerosis Care: A Pilot Survey of Multidisciplinary Providers †
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Characteristic | Frequency (%) of Responses |
---|---|
Discipline (n = 60) | |
Neurologist | 27 (45.0) |
Nurse | 8 (13.3) |
Nurse practitioner | 6 (10.0) |
Physical therapist | 5 (8.3) |
Occupational therapist | 3 (5.0) |
Pharmacist | 2 (3.3) |
Registered dietitian nutritionist | 2 (3.3) |
Other physician | 2 (3.3) |
Other providers 2 | 5 (8.3) |
Have you ever referred a patient with MS to an RDN? (n = 58) 3 | |
Yes | 45 (77.6) |
No | 10 (17.2) |
Unsure/Cannot recall | 3 (5.2) |
How beneficial do you find RDNs to be to the care of people with MS? (n = 45) 4 | |
Extremely helpful | 16 (35.6) |
Helpful | 22 (48.9) |
Neither helpful nor unhelpful | 5 (11.1) |
Unhelpful | 2 (4.4) |
Extremely unhelpful | 0 |
Characteristic | Frequency (%) of Responses |
---|---|
Reasons for RDN referral (n = 47) 1 | |
Lack of nutrition knowledge/general health eating advice | 34 (72.3) |
Overweight/obesity | 31 (66.0) |
Malnutrition | 13 (27.7) |
Bowel problems | 11 (23.4) |
Hyperglycemia | 11 (23.4) |
Dysphagia | 9 (19.1) |
Hypertension | 8 (17.0) |
Food allergy/sensitivity/intolerance | 8 (17.0) |
Unintentional weight loss | 7 (14.9) |
Hyperlipidemia | 6 (12.8) |
Lack of appetite | 5 (10.6) |
Micronutrient deficiency | 3 (6.4) |
Inflammation | 1 (2.1) |
Micronutrient toxicity | 0 |
Reasons for not referring to a RDN (n = 13) 2 | |
Not having referral privileges | 5 (38.5) |
Inadequate consultation time | 5 (38.5) |
Unsure how to refer to RDN | 4 (30.8) |
Provide patients with handouts on healthy eating | 3 (23.1) |
RDN referrals should come from general practice physicians | 2 (15.4) |
Lack of evidence for role of diet in MS care | 2 (15.4) |
Lack of RDNs in area | 1 (7.7) |
Works in the in-patient setting | 1 (7.7) |
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Wills, O.; Bradford, A.; Bostick, M.; Probst, Y.; Titcomb, T.J. Perceptions and Utilization of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Multiple Sclerosis Care: A Pilot Survey of Multidisciplinary Providers. Nutrients 2025, 17, 385. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030385
Wills O, Bradford A, Bostick M, Probst Y, Titcomb TJ. Perceptions and Utilization of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Multiple Sclerosis Care: A Pilot Survey of Multidisciplinary Providers. Nutrients. 2025; 17(3):385. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030385
Chicago/Turabian StyleWills, Olivia, Alaina Bradford, Mona Bostick, Yasmine Probst, and Tyler J. Titcomb. 2025. "Perceptions and Utilization of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Multiple Sclerosis Care: A Pilot Survey of Multidisciplinary Providers" Nutrients 17, no. 3: 385. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030385
APA StyleWills, O., Bradford, A., Bostick, M., Probst, Y., & Titcomb, T. J. (2025). Perceptions and Utilization of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Multiple Sclerosis Care: A Pilot Survey of Multidisciplinary Providers. Nutrients, 17(3), 385. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030385