Abstract
Registered dietitians entered the realm of private practice in significant numbers with the advent of health maintenance organizations in the late 1980s to early 1990s. By virtue of the fact that they were now largely in business for themselves, they needed to quickly develop business skills in order to develop and grow their practices. And, they also had to contend with billing their claims and then seeking reimbursement from insurers. Private practitioners had to quickly adopt office procedures, acquire their own insurance, and develop marketing plans, while at the same time developing a client base and seeing their patients.