Although effective communication is fundamental to nutrition and dietetics practice, providing novice practitioners with efficacious training remains a challenge. Traditionally, human simulated patients have been utilised in health professions training, however their use and development can be cost and time prohibitive. Presented here is a platform the authors have created that allows students to interact with virtual simulated patients to practise and develop their communication skills. Leveraging the structured incorporation of large language models, it is designed by pedagogical content experts and comprises individual cases based on curricula and student needs. It is targeted towards the practice of rapport building, asking of difficult questions, paraphrasing and mistake making, all of which are essential to learning. Students appreciate the individualised and immediate feedback based on validated communication tools that encourage self-reflection and improvement. Early trials have shown students are enthusiastic about this platform, however further investigations are required to determine its impact as an experiential communication skills tool. This platform harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to bridge the gap between theory and practice in communication skills training, requiring significantly reduced costs and resources than traditional simulated patient encounters.

Aim: To determine the safety, operational feasibility and environmental impact of collecting unopened non‐perishable packaged hospital food items for reuse.Methods: This pilot study tested packaged foods from an Australian hospital for bacterial species, and compared this to acceptable safe limits. A waste management strategy was trialled (n = 10 days) where non‐perishable packaged foods returning to the hospital kitchen were collected off trays, and the time taken to do this and the number and weight of packaged foods collected was measured. Data were extrapolated to estimate the greenhouse gasses produced if they were disposed of in a landfill.Results: Microbiological testing (n = 66 samples) found bacteria (total colony forming units and five common species) on packaging appeared to be within acceptable limits. It took an average of 5.1 ± 10.1 sec/tray to remove packaged food items from trays returning to the kitchen, and an average of 1768 ± 19 packaged food items were per collected per day, equating to 6613 ± 78 kg/year of waste which would produce 19 tonnes/year of greenhouse gasses in landfill.Conclusions: A substantial volume of food items can be collected from trays without significantly disrupting current processes. Collecting and reusing or donating non‐perishable packaged food items that are served but not used within hospitals is a potential strategy to divert food waste from landfill. This pilot study provides initial data addressing infection control and feasibility concerns. While food packages in this hospital appear safe, further research with larger samples and testing additional microbial species is recommended.

Assessment for vitamin C deficiency (VCD) is rarely undertaken in an acute hospital setting in high-income countries. However, with growing interest in VCD in community settings, there is emerging evidence investigating the prevalence and impact of VCD during hospitalization. In this scoping review, the prevalence of VCD in adult hospitalized patients is explored, patient characteristics are described, and risk factors and clinical outcomes associated with VCD are identified. A systematic scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR framework. The Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for interventional, comparative, and case-series studies that met eligibility criteria, including adult hospital inpatients in high-income countries, as defined by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, that reported VCD prevalence using World Health Organization reference standards. These standards define VCD deficiency as plasma or serum vitamin C level <11.4 µmol/L, wholeblood level <17 µmol/L, or leukocytes <57 nmol/10⁸ cells. Twenty-three articles were included, representing 22 studies. The cumulative prevalence of VCD was 27.7% (n = 2494; 95% confidence interval [CI], 21.3-34.0). High prevalence of VCD was observed in patients with severe acute illness and poor nutritional status. Scurvy was present in 48% to 62% of patients with VCD assessed in 2 studies (n = 71). Being retired (P = 0.015) and using excessive amounts of alcohol and tobacco (P = 0.0003) were independent risk factors for VCD (n = 184). Age was not conclusively associated with VCD (n = 631). Two studies examined nutrition associations (n = 309); results were inconsistent. Clinical outcomes for VCD included increased risk of frailty (adjusted odds ratio, 4.3; 95%CI, 1.33–13.86; P = 0.015) and cognitive impairment (adjusted odds ratio, 2.93; 95%CI, 1.05–8.19, P = 0.031) (n = 160). VCD is a nutritional challenge facing the healthcare systems of high-income countries. Research focused on early identification and treatment of patients with VCD is warranted. Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/AJGHX).

Background: Despite clear needs to prepare allied health professionals to work in aged care to meet community needs, student placements in residential aged care are not commonplace. There is limited evidence that explores allied health students' attitudes to aged care placement learning experiences. Objective: This work aims to examine the attitudes, experiences and impact of a residential aged care placement on allied health professional students. Methods: The study employed an exploratory qualitative approach within an interpretative philosophy. Participants were 14 dietetics, occupational therapy and speech pathology students who had a placement experience in residential aged care in Australia. Students completed a demographics questionnaire, and either an online interview before and after their placement, or a group online interview after their placement. Verbatim transcripts were analysed thematically using an inductive approach. Results: Students acknowledged the usefulness of placement in ‘Building Skills,’ and proposed how they could translate these skills to future acute setting placements. However, the ‘Legitimacy of the Learning Environment’ was a concern given the limited in situ role modelling from their own profession. Students clearly identified how they had and could make a meaningful ‘Contribution to Care’ of the older person. Conclusions: Placement experiences in residential aged care are a legitimate learning opportunity for allied health professional students to develop their capabilities to work with older people; however, the student sense of fit within the workplace was disconnected. Supporting effective student learning in the aged care setting is important to enable students to be prepared to enter the aged care workforce.

Enteral nutrition, commonly known as tube feeding, is a life-sustaining intervention for individuals who cannot meet their nutritional needs orally due to medical conditions affecting swallowing, digestion, or nutrient absorption. Since its introduction in the 1970s, home enteral nutrition (HEN) has enabled the safe delivery of complete or supplemental nutrition in community settings, enhancing both quality of life and healthcare outcomes. The HEN landscape in Australia is rapidly evolving, driven in part by the renewed interest in blended tube feeding (BTF). This narrative review explores the current state of HEN care and BTF support in Australia, focusing on prevalence, funding models, provider and client perspectives, clinical guidelines, and advocacy efforts.