Adult First Nations Nutrition/Dietetic Assessment
Adult

Nutrition/Dietetic – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service

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Emergency Referrals

Useful Management Information

The First Nations Dietetic Service provides individual and small group education to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients manage or prevent diet-related conditions. Where appropriate, we work closely alongside medical practitioners to advocate for the role of nutrition in their patients’ wellbeing. We partner with Kalwun Aboriginal Medical Service to offer services in a variety of outreach locations within the Gold Coast Health Service catchment. The service operates within business hours Mon-Fri, excluding public holidays.

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?

Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)	Nutrition support: Malnutrition (BMI <18.5kg/m2, unintentional weight loss >5% of total body weight, MST= 3-5 with evidence of recent weight loss Urgent post-acute follow up (e.g. hypermetabolic, increased requirements for wound healing, pressure areas ≥ stage3) Newly commenced enteral nutrition support/update of HENS severe nutrition impact symptoms impacting oral intake: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, chewing or swallowing problems \ Antenatal: hyperemesis; high risk (iron deficiency, AOD, young age, multiparous, cat III obesity: pre-natal BMI>40) Newly diagnosed food allergy e.g. coeliac disease Ileostomy with high output Cancer care with nutrition impact symptoms e.g. XRT to head and neck, cachexia, nausea and vomiting Newly diagnosed IBD with moderate-severe malnutrition Stage IV Kidney disease and: malnutrition requiring nutrition support hyperkalaemia, hyperphosphataemia fluid and salt management Diabetes: Newly diagnosed T1DM, Pregnancy (T1DM/T2DM/GDM), Recent unintentional wt loss/ post discharge support for metabolic emergency requiring dietetic input (e.g. DKA)
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)	Inadequate oral intake, underweight, unintentional weight loss <5% total body weight, MST 2-3 Eating disorder (medically stable) Weight reduction for urgent surgical intervention including pre-op VLCD Antenatal overweight/obesity (Pre-natal BMI 30-40) Anaemias and nutritional blood disorders PEI with PERT Type 2 Diabetes: newly diagnosed / sub optimally controlled T2DM/ recently started on insulin Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) / with Co-morbidities (e.g. HTN, Obesity, CVD) Newly iagnosed bowel disorder: Crohn’s Disease, Coeliac Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, bowel obstruction, bowel resection, ileostomy/ colostomy Recurrent small bowel obstruction for modified fibre education Food intolerances (non-IgE mediated) Symptomatic IBS Patient on modified diet as per speech pathology Mild-moderate nutrition impact symptoms (loss of appetite, early satiety, nausea, chewing or swallowing problems) Known diabetes with acute increase in HbA1c or persistently >8.5% or epidsodes of hypoglycaemia
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)	Healthy eating or general nutrition advice Chronic disease prevention education Weight management advice for overweight/ obesity PCOS Annual diabetes review / IGT High lipid levels (e.g. cholesterol or triglycerides) Dietary advice for healthy eating Cholecystitis Chronic GI symptoms, IBS, reflux, constipation, food intolerances Diverticular disease Diabetes management (HbA1c 7-8.4% Kidney stones Gout Dietary advice for CVD Nutrient deficiencies e.g. calcium, iron
If your patient does not meet the minimum referral criteria Assessment and management information may be found on a range of conditions at HealthPathways If the patient does not meet the criteria for referral but the referring practitioner believes the patient requires specialist review, a clinical override may be requested: Please explain why (e.g. warning signs or symptoms, clinical modifiers, uncertain about diagnosis, etc.) Please note that your referral may not be accepted or may be redirected to another service

Standard Referral Information

Reason for request

To establish a diagnosis
For treatment or intervention
For advice and management
For specialist to take over management
Reassurance for GP/second opinion
For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
Reassurance for the patient/family
For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

Relevant clinical information about the condition

Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
Physical findings
Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
All conservative options that have been pursued unsuccessfully prior to referral
Body mass index (BMI)
Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
Any special care requirements where relevant (e.g tracheostomy in place, oxygen required)
Current medications and dosages
Drug allergies
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

Patient's Demographic Details

Full name (including aliases)
Date and country of birth
Residential and postal address including whether patient resides at an aged care facility
Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
Medicare number (where eligible)
Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
Name of delegate and contact details (Department of Corrective Services)
Preferred language and interpreter requirements
Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Any special needs, access requirements and/or disability relevant to the referral

Referring Practitioner Details

Full name
Full address
Contact details – telephone, fax, email
Provider number
Date of referral
Signature
Nominated general practitioner’s details (if known), if the nominated general practitioner is different from the referring practitioner

Other relevant information

Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)

Essential Referral Information

Patient’s Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status
Reason for referral
List of other providers currently providing care

Additional Referral Information

Anthropometry (weight, height, BMI and recent weight changes)
Medical history
Social History
Medication history
Any recent pathology
List of allergies

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Medical Objects Account: GQ42150009Z

HealthLink EDI: Qldgchsd

Internal Referrals

Nutrition/Dietetics - Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander qhRefer

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

1300 744 284

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

HealthPathways home page

Service Availability

Facilities

Robina Health Precinct

Kalwun Bilinga

Kalwun Coomera

Kalwun Miami

Palm Beach Community Health Centre

If you would like to send a named referral, please address it to the specialist listed above, who will allocate a suitably qualified specialist to see the patient. Alternatively, you can view a full list of our specialists.

Adult First Nations Nutrition/Dietetic Assessment Adult