Is There a De Facto Silo in the Nutrition Management of Dialysis Patients? Examining the Evidence and Potential for Coordinated Interventions by Renal Dietitians and Nephrology Social Workers to Better Optimize Patients' Nutritional Status.

Abstract

Moving away from silos in health care, interdisciplinary collaboration has become the standard for optimizing malnutrition outcomes in all affected population groups. Despite this, there has not been any documented coordinated involvement by nephrology social workers with renal dietitians to address psychosocial factors known to adversely affect dialysis patients' nutritional status. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of evidence on ways the integrated involvement of nephrology social workers, targeting depression and cognitive impairment, can help to mitigate their adverse effects and enable renal dietitians to be more effective in their nutritional management of patients. A concluding discussion looks briefly at potential barriers to the coordinated interventions, as well as a possible areas for interdisciplinary research involving nephrology social workers and renal dietitians.