Dietetics trends as reflected in various primary research projects, 1995-2011.

At the behest of the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Workforce Demand Task Force, a retrospective examination and reanalysis of 12 primary research projects (sponsored by CDR and/or the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics between 1995 and 2011) was undertaken to identify trends in supply of and demand for registered dietitians (RDs) and dietetic technicians, registered (DTRs). The analysis suggests that supply of RDs (and possibly DTRs) lags slightly behind demand-although, in the case of DTRs, that does not necessarily imply that demand is growing (supply was shrinking throughout most of the study period). The population of both groups is aging, and the number of RDs and DTRs reporting expected retirement in the near future is sure to affect supply/demand relationships. Neither group reflects the US population as a whole in terms of either sex or racial/ethnic diversity, and the trend lines in these areas are essentially flat. RD practice is seen to be moving incrementally toward the clinical arena, in inpatient and (increasingly) outpatient settings. The proportion of RDs in clinical long-term-care, as well as in food/nutrition management and consultation/business practice, is decreasing; a longer-term trend away from foodservice is noted. There is small growth in both the prevalence and the compensation of clinical specialists in areas like renal, pediatrics, and weight management at the expense of more general clinical practitioners. In a trend likely related to the increase in clinical practice, RD positions are gradually losing managerial responsibility. DTRs have experienced a similar phenomenon. For almost all RD positions in the clinical arena, registration as an RD is a requirement for employment, suggesting that clinical employment should continue to grow along with the increasing health care demand from an aging population. The DTR credential is not required at similarly high rates. A major supply issue is the relative shortage of DTRs in certain parts of the country, particularly the South. Major effects from the June 2009 inauguration of the Pathway III route to registration as a DTR have been noted.