Appropriateness of Diets Prescribed by Licensed Independent Practitioners Compared to Standard Medical Nutrition Therapy Practice

An abstract of a study by Hummell et al determining the number of acceptable diet orders written by licensed independent practitioners and the success rate of releasing pending diet orders at the institution is presented. Due to federal regulations, LIPs have the authority to prescribe diets and registered dietitians (RDs) do not. Results show that considering that 26% of all orders did not meet standard practice, particularly enteral orders, this study illustrates the value of RDs' active participation in the order-writing process and the need to pursue this authority in order to provide nutrition care that is safe and effective.