Assessing the Level of Knowledge, Implementation Practices, and Use of Digital Applications for the Optimal Adoption of the Nutrition Care Process in Greece

Abstract

The level of NCP implementation varies across countries due to differences identified in major components of health systems such as infrastructures, legislation, training, and cultural diversities. Dietitians in Greece receive sufficient training in the implementation of the NCP as part of their main studies; however, the level of awareness and adoption of the NCP model is still quite low, with limited information on the potential barriers. The primary aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the perspectives of Greek dietitians on the NCP and the use of digital tools. An online survey was created and distributed through the platform “SurveyMonkey version 4.1.1”. The overall structure of the questionnaire was modeled according to the validated NCP/NCPT INIS Tool. A total of 279 subjects were included in this study, and 192 were aware of the NCP tool. The most important challenges for the implementation of the NCP included communication with other healthcare professionals (68.2%), provision of appropriate care (33.9%), and insufficient access to continuous education (29.2%). Of the 192 participants who knew the NCP, 81.3% reported using digital applications for the collection and assessment of health data, while 18.8% indicated that they did not utilize such tools. No relationship was found between the use of digital applications by dietitians, NCP knowledge, and demographic characteristics. Our findings highlight the need for targeted educational interventions and appropriate application of standardized protocols by Greek dietitians in daily practice. National Dietetic Associations should provide sufficient guidance on digital tool utilization in facilitating patient data management and enhancing NCP implementation.