Contacts
Beth Martino | Head of Department
Leah Bryant | Senior Dietitian
PCH.Dietetics@health.wa.gov.au
Dietitians provide nutrition assessment and medical nutrition therapy for patients such as:
- management of inpatients and outpatients on tube feeds
- medical nutritional therapy including nutrition screening, assessment, nutritional support via a therapeutic diet and/ or specialised nutritional feeds, education and monitoring
- consultancy to medical teams regarding the nutritional therapy of patients.
The department provides student placements for students studying a Masters of Dietetics at Edith Cowan University and Curtin University in Perth.
Key Research Areas
Research currently undertaken in the area of nutrition and diabetes is around the management of blood glucose levels after consuming a meal. Specifically the consistency within individual and between individuals and the impact and management of fat, protein and variable carbohydrate quantities. In addition the change in blood glucose fluctuations, diet quality and quality of life once started on a gluten free diet in children and young adults newly diagnosed with coeliac disease. Service delivery changes are being trialled and evaluated to reduce length of hospital stay for those newly diagnosed with diabetes.
Muscular Dystrophy Western Australia-funded Neuromuscular project includes nutrition screening of all children attending the Neuromuscular clinic at PCH, the development of nutrition care pathways and clinical guidelines, and the development of evidence-based patient information.