3 Ways Doctors Offices Can Effectively & Appropriately Give Nutrition Information
Did you know that Doctors receive less than 25 hours worth of nutrition education during medical school and that nutrition education is not a mandatory part of their curriculum? Still, they are often the first resource for patients’ nutrition or weight loss questions although many physicians report only spending about 3 minutes per visit providing nutrition-focused guidance… How can this be beneficial to the patient? Do they get to ask questions? Do they just hear “eat less and exercise more” or “just don’t eat salt to manage your heart disease”? I can tell you from personal experience that almost every single heart patient I’ve ever spoken to has been told the latter. What it sounds like to me is that the doctors are well meaning but don’t have the time or the knowledge to effectively educate on nutrition, leaving patients with blanket statements that are far from accurate or appropriate. To be fair- it’s not their job and we should let them stick to what they know best- Medicine!
Since people are still seeking nutrition advice from doctors and now weight loss therapies from those who can prescribe drugs, I urge doctors offices to revamp how they give nutritional guidance!
Here are 3 ways Doctors can improve their patients’ experience with accurate nutrition guidance:
1. Refer Out!
You’re allowed to say, “this isn’t my expertise, let’s get you connected with a Registered Dietitian.”
This doesn’t mean just telling a patient they should see a dietitian. Nope, this means giving them the resources in their area, coordinating care with a local dietitian who specializes in their condition, ensuring that they can receive care with their insurance. Now, of course it is not the doctors responsibility to know all of this information or even coordinate appointments. But, to provide a successful coordination of care, an interdisciplinary team is absolutely necessary. For help building resources on this for your office, please reach out to me, I would love to make a curated list for you!
2. Use Visual Aids
Most adults in America are reading at a 6th-8th grade reading level. Giving a packet of information that is just text is often not helpful at all. Many organizations make awesome resources for patients with different medical conditions containing visual aids. I always recommend hanging up these visuals on the fridge as a reminder at each meal or snack. Take a look at the image below and consider the differences for a patient!
Other visual aids include:
Food props in the office
Posters displaying healthy food choices
Educational videos
3. Consider a partnership or hiring an in-house nutrition professional
If nutrition guidance is something that is common in your office but you don’t have a dietitian, you may be at a disadvantage - as a business and as a resource to your patients. Especially for specialties such as endocrinology, cardiology, and weight loss, having an on-site dietitian makes it easier for patients to access nutrition services under one roof, reducing the barrier of having to go to yet another provider. Other specialties that might consider having some degree of nutrition care are genecology & obstetrics (for fertility, PCOS, endometriosis, etc) and primary care and pediatrics (for weight management, picky eating, eating disorders). Or, consider a linkage agreement with a local dietitian’s office which provides a two-way flow of patients and easy communication between providers.
For more information on any of the ways a doctor’s office can improve the patient and provider experience with nutrition services, fill out my contact form for a free 30-minute consultation!
