Patient safety and nutrition: is there a connection?

Abstract

Nutrition care is not always recognised as a patient safety issue. This article explores the origins of the patient safety initiative and seeks to identify possible connections between nutrition care and patient safety. Examples of tools that can be used to improve the safety of nutrition care are provided. This is also a call to action as patient safety data for nutrition care in the South African context are lacking and much can be learned from worldwide patient safety initiatives.

Keywords: dietetic students, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, Eating Attitudes Test 26, body mass index, eating behaviour, eating disorders