Registration & regulation of health professionals

Registration of health professionals is currently a topical issue in Australia. The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) is aware that some health professionals and members of the public are confused and concerned about this issue, including the impact on self-regulated professions, such as dietetics.

Position of the DAA Board

Registration of dietitians under the Allied Health Professional Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is not available as an option at the moment. The dietetics profession has been self-regulated with recognised high standards at a national level for many years and is seen as a benchmark for self-regulation processes.

The DAA Board believes the best option for dietitians is an alternative method of national regulation – through a system in which professional bodies (such as DAA) are assessed and licensed by an appointed body (or regulator).

If the Federal Government were to consider registration for dietitians under AHPRA in the future, DAA and its members would engage strongly in the process to achieve the best possible outcomes for the profession. In the mean-time, DAA is staying involved in discussions in this evolving area.

National Alliance of Self Regulating Health Professions

The DAA Board is supportive of work the National Alliance of Self Regulating Health Professions (NASRHP) has undertaken to advocate for a legislated approach to self regulation. A paper developed by the NASRHP outlining a proposed model for regulating health practitioners is available from the DAA website.

APD credential: An assurance of high professional standards

DAA recommends people look for the Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) credential when seeking nutrition advice for themselves or their families. Health professionals and the Australian public can be confident that APDs operate under similar or higher standards to those set through national registration.

Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs):

  • Have either graduated from a DAA-accredited course at an Australian university, or have passed the DAA exam for overseas-educated dietitians
  • Adhere to professional standards (which are set out in DAA’s Code of Professional Conduct and Statement of Ethical Practice)
  • Are subject to formal complaints and disciplinary procedures with external scrutiny
  • Must take part in an audited system of continuing professional development (CPD)
  • Must comply with DAA’s guidelines for evidence-based practice.

Background: Health professional regulation

In mid-2010 some health professions became registered nationally under criteria set by the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council (AHMAC). Dietetics had no opportunity to be part of the group considered for registration. This was also the case for other mainstream, self-regulated health professions – such as speech pathology, social work, audiology, sonography, and exercise and sports science.

The new national system of registration was set-up primarily to address safety and workplace mobility issues.

  • Patient safety: In terms of patient safety, nutrition and dietetics is considered low risk, and DAA already has good systems in place to help ensure public safety (such as the APD Program).
  • Workforce mobility: This is not an issue for dietetics as it has been for other professions, such as doctors and nurses, where previously registration was different between States and Territories, making it more difficult for these health professionals to move interstate. DAA is already self-regulated nationally and has a single body accrediting all Australian dietetic education programs.

Although not being considered for registration, APDs operate under similar or higher standards to those set by AHPRA. The APD credential is the only credential recognised by Medicare, the Department of Veterans Affairs and most private health funds as the quality standard for nutrition and dietetics services in Australia.

The APD credential is available to any dietitian who meets the standards of the APD Program and complies with the processes of the program. And membership of DAA is not required if the dietitian so chooses.