1.       Unit name: Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics

2.       History of formation and development

Therapeutic nutrition is one of the important tasks of the Institute of Nutrition. Since its inception, the Department of "Therapeutic Nutrition" was established to carry out this work. From 2004 to present, the department has been called "Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics".

The department has the function of researching methods of treating diseases by diet, developing nutritional regimens suitable for diseases of Vietnamese people, advising the Ministry of Health to develop and promulgate policies on nutritional regimens for patients.

Period 1981 - 1990: Department staff worked at a number of hospitals such as Bach Mai Hospital, National Children's Hospital, Thanh Nhan Hospital. During this period, the Department conducted many studies on nutrition for patients in hospitals and the community.

1991 - 2000 period: The Department's research focused on epidemiological investigation and intervention for some nutrition-related diseases. From 1996 to 2002, the Department organized nutritional consultations at the Institute's "Nutrition Consultation" room to meet the needs of society.

From 2001 to present: The Department has worked together to build the Nutrition Department of Bach Mai Hospital. During this period, the Department has achieved many achievements in research, construction and development of specialized techniques, compilation of specialized documents, training, direction, construction and proposal to the Ministry of Health to issue guidelines and circulars on nutritional care for hospitalized patients, which are the basis for hospitals nationwide to apply and implement. The staff of the department also works in charge of the nutrition departments of the Central Geriatric Hospital, the Central Endocrinology Hospital, the Hanoi Oncology Hospital and Bach Mai Hospital.

The Institute of Nutrition has established the Nutrition Consultation Department No. 2 according to Decision No. 420/QD-VDD dated November 30, 2011, assigned to the Department to organize and implement, which has been the basis for the staff of the Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics to develop their expertise in nutrition consultation and scientific research.

Scientific research: Over the past 40 years, the Department has been assigned by the Institute to preside over many important scientific topics in the field of therapeutic nutrition: 02 State-level topics; 03 State-level branch topics; 04 Ministry-level topics; 12 International Cooperation topics; over 40 grassroots topics. Compilation of books and specialized documents: The Department has edited and published about 12 books on nutrition with high application value. Participated in building a nutrition pyramid for children and the elderly, pregnant and lactating women.

Nutrition policy activities at hospitals: Advised the Ministry of Health to issue directives and circulars on nutrition work in hospitals: Directive 11/1995-BYT dated December 11, 1995 on strengthening food service for patients. Directive 07/2001/CT-BYT dated July 5, 2001 on restoring and building a hospital nutrition department. Circular 08/2011-TT-BYT dated January 26, 2011, guiding nutrition and dietetic work in hospitals. In the group that compiled Circular 18/2019-TT-BYT dated November 12, 2020. The Department also participated in developing hospital quality criteria chaired by the Ministry of Health. The Department participated in developing clinical nutrition technical processes chaired by the Ministry of Health, and participated in developing Nutritional Guidelines for the treatment of surgical diseases and cancer.

Participated in developing policies on nutritional care for the elderly: developing a project on Nutritional care for the elderly for approval by the Ministry of Health.

Training and guidance activities: The Department organized training on treatment nutrition for treatment staff of hospitals across the country. From 2000 to 2008, the Department trained in clinical nutrition for over 300 staff working in nutrition at 177 hospitals, in 50/63 provinces and cities nationwide. Organize training courses on clinical nutrition for treating physicians (emergency resuscitation, anesthesia, surgery, pediatrics, internal medicine...) and nutrition doctors of hospitals nationwide with lecturers who are training experts of the European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN). Participate in teaching nutrition at Hanoi Medical University, University of Public Health... instructing graduate and doctoral students in nutrition. Develop a project to help 7 hospital nutrition departments become model units in nutritional care for patients in 2008. Currently, the Department continues to support, build and develop the Nutrition Department for Bach Mai Hospital, Central Geriatric Hospital. The Department participates in training on nutrition for the elderly at a number of hospitals at all levels and nursing homes.

The Department strengthens domestic and international cooperation such as Boston University, USA, schools and hospitals in Japan to cooperate in research, exchange, share and learn about clinical nutrition. The Department has organized many national seminars on clinical nutrition. Since 2010, the seminars have been regularly organized with the participation of hundreds of delegates from many hospitals nationwide. The speakers are experts in the field of international and Vietnamese specialties.

The staff of the department participates in the Vietnam Dietetic Association, organizes national seminars on dietetic nutrition and compiles a number of documents on nutrition and dietetics.

In addition, the staff of the department conducts nutritional consultations. Along with the consultation activities, the department also organizes nutrition practice instruction sessions, lectures on nutrition for many subjects, and participates in free consultations for the community.

3.       Functions and tasks

3.1.  Functions:

The department researches and applies methods of treatment by diet and develops appropriate nutritional regimens according to the pathology of Vietnamese people. Provides services in the field of clinical nutrition and dietetics.

3.2.  Tasks:

-         Basic research on pathological nutrition, nutritional needs for different types of diseases.

-         Research and apply diets and dietetics, nutritional products according to diseases, develop nutritional care and treatment regimens for inpatients and outpatients according to disease groups in different specialties.

-         Research and organize nutrition treatment departments and nutrition consultation in hospitals and treatment facilities.

-         Participate in training, communication and education and guidance in the specialized field in charge. Strengthen domestic and foreign cooperation to develop expertise.

-         Provide services in the field of clinical nutrition and dietetics according to social requirements and needs.

-         Perform other tasks assigned by the Director./.

4.       Deployment services:

The Department participates in nutritional examination and consultation at the clinics of the Institute of Nutrition with the following activities:

-         Nutrition examination and consultation services for all subjects in need, including: clinical examination, prescription of nutritional paraclinical tests such as stool tests, blood tests, assessment of nutritional status, nutritional consultation, nutritional treatment of nutrition-related diseases such as rickets, anorexia, malnutrition, overweight-obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, kidney disease, ... combined with exercise guidance (depending on the subject)

-         Guidance on practicing nutrition and moderation according to customer needs

-         Applying and developing techniques, paraclinical and advanced nutritional consultation tools and techniques to improve service quality and efficiency.

5.       Some images of the unit's activities

Research activities:

Training activities

Training for medical staff at Hue Central Hospital	Training for the elderly
Training for medical staff at Vietnam - Sweden Uong Bi Hospital
Training for medical staff at Ba Ria Hospital	Training for nursing home staff

Nutrition consultation at Nutrition Consultation Clinic, Facility 2