IDENTIFYING OPINIONS OF THE NEUTROPENIC DIET IN ONCOLOGY PROVIDERS

The neutropenic diet is often prescribed by oncology providers for immunocompromised patients in an effort to reduce the microbial content of the patient’s diet. Research shows that the neutropenic diet may have adverse effects on a patient’s nutritional status and quality of life. Studies suggest that food safety efforts may be more beneficial for patients to follow without increasing health risks. There is little research identifying the reasons why oncology providers continue to prescribe the neutropenic diet; therefore, the aim of this study is to bridge the gap in the literature. The purpose of the study is to identify the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about the neutropenic diet among oncology providers. Nine e-interviews were conducted with oncology providers. The interviews were recorded using Zoom, transcribed using Otter.ai, and analyzed using MAXQDA. Thematic analysis revealed inconsistencies among the definitions of the neutropenic diet and the prescribing practices of the providers. All participants agreed that providing patient education about the diet was essential, but the education varied among providers. When offered an alternative to the neutropenic diet, most participants were in favor of shifting to a safe food handling approach for oncology patients. The participants offered a wide variety of recommendations for the implementation of a shift to the safe handling approach. The study concluded there is a lack of knowledge about appropriate diet options for immunocompromised patients among oncology providers. Future studies should examine the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of a safe food handling diet for cancer patients