Who May Provide Dietetic and Nutrition Services in the Chiropractic Office? What Kinds of Dietetic

“Dietetic and nutrition services” means the integration and application of food science and nutrition to individuals and groups.  A chiropractic physician may provide dietetic and nutrition services, which includes nutrition counseling, assessment, and therapy.  A chiropractic physician may also provide a medically prescribed diet (a diet in which nutrient levels need to be monitored, altered, or both, for an individual whose health is impaired by disease, injury or surgery), for any individuals other than residents of nursing homes. 

A chiropractic physician may employ a licensed dietitian nutritionist to perform dietetic and nutrition services in the chiropractic office.  Although the Medical Practice Act permits physicians to delegate some patient care tasks and duties to unlicensed personnel in the office, the ICS believes that nutrition services are not the types of tasks that a physician may delegate to an unlicensed assistant, because these services require the expertise of a licensee.  However, a physician who is on site to supervise may direct a qualified unlicensed assistant to provide a patient with general nutritional and healthy eating information that does not include the development of or recommendations for a customized nutrition plan for the patient.  If the physician has developed a customized nutrition plan for a specific patient, a supervising physician may direct a qualified unlicensed assistant to encourage the patient to comply with the plan as developed and directed by the physician.

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For more information regarding the proper delegation of services, please visit: https://ilchiro.org/news/news.asp?id=280049