Survey of outpatient diet counselling services in British Columbia hospitals.

A fall 1985 mail survey of British Columbia (B.C.) hospitals offering outpatient diet counselling services documented a diversity of policies and procedures regarding both structural factors (i.e. personnel and facilities) and generic factors (i.e. referrals accepted and services provided). Results indicate a need to address many issues in outpatient dietetics in B.C. with a view to implementing changes and an ongoing program of evaluation, to ensure cost-effectiveness. Implications inferred from these results may be of value to dietitians elsewhere in Canada faced with the challenges of increasing competition for scarce health care resources.