Patient Follow-up Protocol in Nutrition Practice: Complete Guide
62% of patients who start nutritional follow-up drop out before 3 months, for lack of a structured follow-up protocol. Yet the follow-up consultation is technically the simplest to conduct — with the right framework. Here's the patient follow-up protocol that transforms one-off consultations into lasting support.
1. Optimal follow-up frequency
- Intensive phase (months 1-2): 1 consultation every 2 weeks. Essential to adjust the plan, build habit, and maintain initial motivation.
- Consolidation phase (months 3-6): 1 consultation per month.
- Autonomy phase (6+ months): Quarterly consultation + open messaging.
- Chronic conditions: Intensified frequency for life, minimum 1 monthly consultation.
2. The follow-up consultation structure
Review last session's objectives (5 min)
+Anchoring + accountability"At our last session, you committed to including vegetables at lunch 4 times in 5. How did that go?" This review creates continuity and reinforces commitment. Avoid judgment if the objective wasn't reached — explore the obstacles.
Measurements and indicators (5 min)
+Proof of progressWeight, waist circumference, subjective energy (1-10), sleep quality, digestion. Show the evolution graphically since the beginning. Even a stable curve is a success worth celebrating if the past trend was upward.
Analyze the period's difficulties (10 min)
+Deep understandingExplore without judging. Identify if the problem comes from the plan itself or from the context. Adjust the plan if necessary.
Adjustments and new plan (10 min)
+Adapted progressionModify only what needs changing. 1-2 targeted adjustments are more effective than a complete overhaul.
Commitment for the next period (5 min)
+Guaranteed continuityDefine a specific objective for the next session. Schedule the next appointment before the patient leaves. Send the updated plan within 2 hours post-consultation.
DAISY automatically generates evolution charts for all tracked indicators at each consultation. You show them in real time to the patient — without preparing anything in advance.