A healthy diet is a cornerstone in preventing cardiovascular disease, but many healthcare providers receive insufficient nutrition education and training, according to a new scientific advisory released by the American Heart Association.
“Growing scientific evidence of the benefits of heart-healthy dietary patterns and of the massive public health and economic burdens attributed to obesity and poor diet quality have triggered national calls to increase diet counseling in outpatients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or risk factors,” wrote lead statement author Karen E. Aspry, MD, MS, an assistant professor of medicine at Brown University, and colleagues. “However, despite evidence that physicians are willing to undertake this task and are viewed as credible sources of diet information, they engage patients in diet counseling at less than desirable rates and cite insufficient knowledge and training as barriers.”
The statement, published April 30 in Circulation, highlights areas for improvement at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, but also provides examples of schools which have successfully implemented nutrition education into their programs.
On the whole, though, physicians enter the workforce undereducated in this area. The National Academy of Sciences recommends undergraduate medical students receive at least 25 classroom hours devoted to nutrition education, but a 2013 survey found 71 percent of medical schools provide less than that and 36 percent provide less than half the recommended amount.
The statement writing group said successful programs often integrate nutrition education into various undergraduate and graduate medical courses, rather than using a one-time course. They highlighted web-based resources as well as continuing education courses that can give practicing physicians confidence to manage dietary issues with their patients.
“Nutrition is a dynamic science with a rapidly evolving evidence base requiring continual updating and renewed translational efforts,” said Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, co-chair of the writing group and professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University. “The competencies outlined in this statement provide a foundation with flexible options for advancing nutrition knowledge and skills across the learning continuum, and a toolkit for medical school curriculum directors, program directors, faculty, trainees and students.”
Daniel joined TriMed’s Chicago editorial team in 2017 as a Cardiovascular Business writer. He previously worked as a writer for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Indiana.