Seeing a dietitian

Dietitians are allied health professionals who use their knowledge of human nutrition to help people manage their health. They provide support and services to both inpatients and outpatients, and can be helpful to adults and children who:

• want help planning the best possible diet for a healthy pregnancy and during breastfeeding, support with breastfeeding and healthy nutrition for infants and children
• provide advice on the best possible diet for good health, energy, and disease prevention
• manage medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol or blood fats, high blood pressure, digestive disorders, reflux, cancer, anaemia, or food intolerances
• want to lose, gain, or maintain weight.

On your first visit, the dietitian will:

• discuss the reason for your visit and work with you to plan goals and strategies for improving your health
• take some measurements (including height, weight and waist circumference)
• ask questions about your medical, social and diet history
• refer you to additional health services if necessary
• plan any follow-up appointments.

At follow-up appointments, they may take your measurements again and ask questions to see how much progress you have made, and recommend some new strategies to help you reach your goals.

Referral

You can make an appointment with a private practice dietitian without a referral from a GP. Find an Accredited Practising Dietitian.

If you are a patient in hospital, many Queensland hospitals have dietitians available. Talk to your local hospital to find out more.

Cost

Treatment costs vary depending on services, but you may be able to claim part or all of the cost through Medicare or private health fund rebates.

Medicare provides some rebates for allied health services, which includes seeing a dietitian. These only apply to certain people. Read about who can access dietitian services through Medicare on the Medicare Benefits Schedule website.

Most private health funds provide rebates for allied health services including dietitians. The rebate amount and claim limits will vary across the different health funds, so contact your fund to check your entitlements.