Dietetics

There is often some confusion between the two.

Dietitians are qualified to provide medical nutrition therapy, are skilled in dietary counselling and can provide guidance for the management of medical conditions. Dietitians are trained in evidence-based practice and can help you confidently navigate the nutrition information that bombards us daily in various avenues of media, to choose the best approach for your health. A dietitian, particularly, an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) is a registered profession of which indicates over four years of study, professional competency, involves continuing professional development, and is a recognised profession by Medicare, DVA and private health insurers.

Nutritionists may come from a varied background – tertiary qualified nutritionists will study at university for 2-3 years. Qualified nutritionists have expertise to provide nutrition recommendations for general populations and work more so in policy, research, community or organisation-based health. Nutritionists are not qualified to provide information on specific medical conditions.

Your first visit will involve obtaining a comprehensive history and understanding of your nutritional concerns/goals to form an assessment. You will be asked to fill out a pre-consult form to best facilitate what we get out of the initial consultation.*

This will lead to a plan being developed, where we can work towards achieving your goals.

If it is identified you may require some further testing such as blood tests, scans or scopes, we will liaise with your other health care providers to facilitate the process, with your consent.

*A link to this form will be provided once you have booked into your initial consultation appointment. You will be asked to complete and return this form at least 24 hours prior to your appointment.

In order to get the best out of your diet and dietary goals, it is recommended that there are ongoing reviews of your progress and plan. Nutrition is not one-dimensional and it is beneficial to review and evolve your plan over time to best get results.

In this visit, we can discuss how you may best benefit from reviews, the approach you may like to take, after you have had a chance to process and understand how we may best work together. It’s also a great opportunity to bring along any questions or ideas you may have thought or heard of after the initial consult.

Dietitian consultations are usually covered by all major private health funds under their ‘extras’ cover. The benefit paid for dietetic services varies depending on your level of cover, and annual limits do apply. For more information, please check with your private health fund.

You may be referred to us by your General Practitioner under the Medicare Chronic Disease Management (CDM) program, previously known as the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) Program. Under your CDM  referral, you will be able to claim a portion of your fees from Medicare, up to a maximum of 5 visits each year.