Marie Cavuoto Petrizzo1, Lauren Block2, Doreen M Olvet3, Eva M Sheridan3, Rebecca Dougherty2, Matthew Whitson4, Janice T John1, Maria-Louise Barilla-LaBarca2, Stephanie DiFiglia-Peck5, Alice Fornari3. 1. Departments of Science Education and Pediatrics, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York, USA. 2. Departments of Science Education and Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York, USA. 3. Department of Science Education, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York, USA. 4. Department of Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York, USA. 5. QA- Nutrition, Pediatrics/Adolescent Medicine, Northwell Health, Hempstead, New York, USA.
Abstract
Objective: The patient-physician encounter provides an ideal opportunity to assess a patient's dietary history and its impact on total health. However, nutrition assessments and counseling in physician-patient encounters is often lacking. Insufficient nutrition education during medical school may lead to insecurity in assessing and counseling patients. Methods: Physicians and registered dietitians (RD) co-developed and co-facilitated a nutrition workshop for first-year medical students. Goals included increasing recognition of nutrition's impact on health and promoting student confidence and skills when attaining a nutrition history, assessing risk factors, and advising. Results: Seventy percent of students attested to having "sufficient" knowledge to counsel a patient on nutrition after the session compared to 38% before (Z= -4.46, p < 0.001). Sixty eight percent felt comfortable completing a nutritional assessment after the session compared to 35% before (Z= -4.30, p < 0.001). Sixty-three percent felt confident in advising patients about nutrition after the session compared to 32% before (Z= -4.20, p < 0.001). Students also significantly outperformed a control cohort on a nutrition-related component of an Objective Standardized Clinical Examination.Conclusions: Clinical nutrition education can be successfully integrated into the medical school curriculum as early as the first year. Interprofessional collaboration with RDs provided evidence-based content and authentic clinical experience in both the development of the workshop and in facilitating student discussion.
Objective: The patient-physician encounter provides an ideal opportunity to assess a patient's dietary history and its impact on total health. However, nutrition assessments and counseling in physician-patient encounters is often lacking. Insufficient nutrition education during medical school may lead to insecurity in assessing and counseling patients. Methods: Physicians and registered dietitians (RD) co-developed and co-facilitated a nutrition workshop for first-year medical students. Goals included increasing recognition of nutrition's impact on health and promoting student confidence and skills when attaining a nutrition history, assessing risk factors, and advising. Results: Seventy percent of students attested to having "sufficient" knowledge to counsel a patient on nutrition after the session compared to 38% before (Z= -4.46, p < 0.001). Sixty eight percent felt comfortable completing a nutritional assessment after the session compared to 35% before (Z= -4.30, p < 0.001). Sixty-three percent felt confident in advising patients about nutrition after the session compared to 32% before (Z= -4.20, p < 0.001). Students also significantly outperformed a control cohort on a nutrition-related component of an Objective Standardized Clinical Examination.Conclusions: Clinical nutrition education can be successfully integrated into the medical school curriculum as early as the first year. Interprofessional collaboration with RDs provided evidence-based content and authentic clinical experience in both the development of the workshop and in facilitating student discussion.
Entities:
Keywords:
Nutrition; interprofessional; medical education; preclinical curriculum
Authors: Trey Keel; Doreen M Olvet; Marie Cavuoto Petrizzo; Janice T John; Rebecca Dougherty; Eva M Sheridan Journal: Nutrients Date: 2021-11-15 Impact factor: 5.717