A dietitian can assist anyone who wishes to achieve optimum nutrition. At Hawthorn Health & Dietetics we welcome patients with chronic disease such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as for specific concerns such as irritable bowel syndrome or polycystic ovary syndrome. Please browse our 'child health', 'gut health', 'intolerances' and 'other services' pages to find out more.
You do not need a referral to see our dietitian, however if you wish to access Medicare rebates you will need an appropriate chronic disease health care plan and referral from your GP.
Initial consultations generally last one hour. In this time your dietitian will take a detailed lifestyle and dietary history to help shape recommendations and suggestions to improve your health. Follow-up consultations usually last 30 minutes.
For information on our prices and other services please contact us. Concessions are available for pensioners and health care card holders. We provide on the spot private health rebates via HICAPs. If you have a 'Team Care Arrangement Plan' for a chronic health problem which includes a visit to a dietitian, you are entitled to Medicare rebates (gap fees still apply). We welcome Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) patients. We do not bulk bill under any circumstance. Payment is due on the day of your consultation. We accept credit card (Visa, Mastercard) or EFTPOS.
Yes. 24 hours notice is required for cancellations to make it fair on all our clients and our practitioners. If this is not adhered to, 50% of your appointment cost will be issued. For non attendance without prior notification, a fee equal to the appointment costs will be issued. We understand that in exceptional circumstances it may not always be possible to let us know, and we are happy to make exceptions at such times at our discretion.
It is important to seek the advice of a dietitian before eliminating foods from your diet if you find you are suddenly reacting to specific foods. If you suspect you have a sensitivity to gluten or wheat, you should undergo testing for Coeliac Disease before eliminating gluten from your diet. This requires seeing your GP for a blood test, ideally before coming to see a dietitian so we can treat and provide appropriate dietary guidance.
Please beware of unorthodox diagnosis techniques. Currently there are a number of allergy and intolerance tests that have been shown to be unreliable and have no scientific rationale. Given these tests may provide misleading results, they often lead to ineffective and potentially unnecessary treatment. The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) advise against the use of the following tests: Vega testing, hair analysis, stool-based tests, and iridology. For more information and a comprehensive list of unorthodox tests please visit the ASCIA website. If you have had one of these tests performed to diagnose an allergy, please seek the advice of your GP.
It is important when seeking the advice of a dietitian that they have the credential of Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) provided by the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA). ‘Accredited Practising Dietitian’ is the only credential recognised in Australia as the quality standard for nutrition and dietetics by the Australian Government, most private health funds, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicare. An APD must have completed an accredited 4 year Bachelor degree or a Masters degree at University, and is expected to undertake regular professional development to maintain their accreditation. They are also automatically given the status of Accredited Nutritionist (AN) due to their extensive training.