Communication skills in dietetic practice: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Objective: This scoping review aims to examine and map the evidence regarding communication skills in dietetic practice and the education strategies used to develop them. Specifically, the review will address usage in practice, perceptions, and experiences, as well as the teaching and assessment of communication skills in student dietitians and dietitians.

Introduction: Communication skills are a key element of practice for dietitians. Dietetic practice is evolving, and there is a need to explore the breadth of literature on communication skills for contemporary practice and how these skills are taught.

Inclusion criteria: This scoping review will consider empirical research on dietitians' or nutritionists' communication skills. This will include skills used in dietitian-patient communication, in communication interactions in different employment contexts, and diverse forms of communication (verbal, written, technological). We will consider the views of student dietitians, dietitians, and patients, as well as evidence regarding how communication skills are taught and assessed in dietetics. Sources may include experimental, quasi-experimental, observational, and qualitative studies.

Methods: The following electronic databases will be searched: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, ERIC, and PsycINFO. There will be no date limits. Reference lists of eligible studies will be back-searched. Google Scholar will be used for forward citation tracking. Conference proceedings from the previous five years will be searched for eight conferences of the professional associations of dietetics and health care education. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, and WorldCat Dissertations and Theses will be searched for unpublished literature. The findings will be summarized in tabular format and a narrative synthesis.