Assessment of the Low Referral Rate of Cardiologists to Dietitians/Nutritionists

Author(s):  
Stephen Devries ◽  
Monica Aggarwal ◽  
Kathleen Allen ◽  
Penny Kris-Etherton ◽  
Paul Theriot ◽  
...  

Background: Dietary factors are a leading contributor to cardiovascular disease. Cardiologists are ideally positioned to initiate dietary discussions with patients and to make appropriate referrals to dietitians/nutritionists, yet the frequency of such referrals is unknown. Methods: A national survey was distributed to cardiologists to assess the frequency of their referrals to dietitians/nutritionists, their assessment of the efficacy of such referrals, and the perceived barriers to patient implementation of dietary changes following referral to dietitians/nutritionists. Results: A total of 123 cardiologists responded to the survey. The majority of respondents (71%) reported that they referred 10% or fewer of their patients to dietitians/nutritionists. Cardiologists who participated in a nutrition-focused continuing medical education activity were nearly twice as likely to refer patients to a dietitian/nutritionist as those who did not. Thirty-two percent of cardiologists believed that 25% or more of their referred patients made significant gains in achieving dietary goals. Most cardiologists (63%) attributed the primary challenge to achieving dietary goals to “the patient’s lack of interest and motivation in making dietary changes” while 6% believed the lack of desired results were related to the quality of the counseling provided. Overall, 59% of cardiologists endorsed the belief that dietary interventions can improve outcomes to an equal or greater degree than pharmacologic therapy Conclusion: Cardiologists reported making few referrals to dietitians/nutritionists; however, those who received continuing education in nutrition were significantly more likely to make a referral than those who did not receive nutrition education. The efficacy of referrals to dietitians/nutritionists was considered to be limited, which the majority of cardiologists attributed to a lack of patient interest and motivation—a belief that is not aligned with prior surveys of patient preferences.

Author(s):  
Abdul Muin

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to reveal how the quality of education in this Islamic boarding school is, particularly related to education facilities, curriculum and strategies of education quality improve­ments. This study used the qualitative method. Findings of this study are: first, education infrastructure and facilities are relatively complete and adequate, which are supported by the atmosphere of the Islamic boarding school that is full of simplicity and modesty by habituation in implementing clean and healthy lifestyle. Second, the tafaqquh fi-al din (understanding of religion)-based curriculum compiled by the Islamic boarding school occupies the same degree (equal) to the curriculum prepared by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, so that both tafaqquh fi-al din (understanding of religion) studies and general studi­es have high electability, which is able to increase the quality of education and also generates interest and motivation of the people (parents) to put their children to the Islamic boarding school. Third, education in the Islamic boarding school has a strong independency because it is supported by substantial financial resources.AbstrakTujuan tulisan ini untuk mengungkapkan bagaimana mutu pendidikan di pondok pesantren ini, khususnya berkaitan dengan sarana pendidikan, kurikulum dan sterategi peningkatan mutu pendidik­an. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif. Hasil temuan studi ini adalah: Pertama, sarana dan fasilitas pendidikan relatif lengkap dan memadai, ini didukung oleh suasana kehidupan pondok pesan­tren yang penuh kesederhanaan dan kebersahajaan dengan pembiasaan menerapkan pola hidup bersih dan sehat. Kedua, kurikulum yang berbasis tafaqquh fi-al din yang disusun oleh pondok pesantren ini menempati derajat yang sama (equal) dengan kurikulum yang disusun Kementerian Agama, sehinga baik kajian tafaqquh fi al-din maupun pelajaran umum memiliki electabilitas yang tinggi, hal ini mampu meningkatkan mutu pendidikan dan sekaligus membangkitkan animo dan motivasi masyarakat (orangtua) untuk memasukkan anaknya ke pesantren ini. Ketiga, penyelenggaraan pendidikan di pon­dok pesantren ini memiliki kemandirian yang kuat, karena didukung oleh sumber dana yang besar.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gina G Mentzer ◽  
Alex J Auseon

Heart failure (HF) affects more than 5 million people and has an increasing incidence and cost burden. Patients note symptoms of dyspnea and fatigue that result in a decreased quality of life, which has not drastically improved over the past decades despite advances in therapies. The assessment of exercise capacity can provide information regarding patient diagnosis and prognosis, while doubling as a potential future therapy. clinically, there is acceptance that exercise is safe in hf and can have a positive impact on morbidity and quality of life, although evidence for improvement in mortality is still lacking. specific prescriptions for exercise training have not been developed because many variables and confounding factors have prevented research trials from demonstrating an ideal regimen. Physicians are becoming more aware of the indices and goals for hf patients in exercise testing and therapy to provide comprehensive cardiac care. it is further postulated that a combination of exercise training and pharmacologic therapy may eventually provide the most benefits to those suffering from hf.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Li ◽  
Jingmin Ding ◽  
Yishan Wang ◽  
Chengyao Tang ◽  
Puhong Zhang

BACKGROUND There are an increasing number of mobile applications that provide dietary guidance in supporting healthy lifestyle and disease management. However, the characteristics of these nutrition-related apps are not well analyzed. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the functionality and quality of nutrition-related apps in China. METHODS Mobile apps providing dietary guidance were screened in Chinese iOS and android app stores using stepwise searching criteria in November 2017. Primary review was conducted by extracting information from the description of apps. Free apps that contain all the information of diet and nutrition, with the last update after 1st Jan 2016 were downloaded for further analysis on the nutritional functionality features based on the framework of Chinese Dietary Guidelines and on the market related features as well. The user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS) was used to assess the quality of apps. RESULTS Among the 44 downloaded nutrition-related apps screened from 628 apps with dietary guidance content, only 11(25%) were aimed exclusively for dietary guidance, the others were aimed for fitness guidance (17, 39%), disease management (11, 25%) and maternal health (5, 11%) respectively. The nutritional functionalities of the 44 apps included nutritional information enquiry (40, 91%), nutrition education (35, 80%), food record (34, 77%), diet analysis (34, 77%), and personalized recipes (21, 48%). Twelve out of 44 apps contained all of the above five nutrition related functionalities. The diet analysis and suggestions were mainly focused on energy (33/44, 75%), less on other factors like dietary structure (10/44, 23%). About 96% (42/44) of the apps provided social communication functionality and 59% (26/44) of the apps supported user incentives. Eight out of 44 apps (18%) also applied intelligent recognition technology. Using 5-point uMARS as scales of quality, the median scores of the 44 apps was 3.6 (IQR = 0.7). CONCLUSIONS Most nutrition-related apps are developed in the service of health management other than for dietary guidance exclusively. Although basic energy balance theory was generally applied, the nutritional functionality of the nutrition-related apps is relatively limited and not individualized. More efforts should be taken to integrate with the scientific nutritional knowledge and innovative technology in developing an app followed with complete and personalized dietary guidance.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3028
Author(s):  
Patrick McHugh ◽  
Morgen Smith ◽  
Nicholas Wright ◽  
Sarah Bush ◽  
Sue Pullon

Despite an ever-increasing burden of non-communicable diseases and overwhelming evidence that good nutrition improves outcomes it is difficult to know whether this evidence is reaching the general population. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether health professionals in Tairāwhiti have sufficient nutrition education for their roles in health education and promotion and whether nutrition beliefs held by health professionals were consistent with current literature. A particular interest was to enlist views on the harms, benefits, and possible barriers to following plant-based diets. A mixed-methods study involving health professionals completing a questionnaire and a subsequent focus group to collect data was used. Survey data were analysed using spreadsheet software, and thematic content analysis of focus group data was undertaken. Participants provided nutrition advice 2.4 times per day. Almost half of practitioners considered their nutrition knowledge to be inadequate, and most made poor use of references for provision of information. Plant-based diets were generally viewed as beneficial to health, improve quality of life, be filling, but were perceived as not as easy to follow. This study is in keeping with previous research that the health workforce would benefit from more formalised nutrition education and competencies to address common chronic disease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S8-S9
Author(s):  
Julia Fritsch ◽  
Alejandra Quintero ◽  
Judith Pignac-Kobinger ◽  
Luis Garces ◽  
Ana Santander ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims There is a lack of evidence-based dietary interventions in ulcerative colitis (UC) management. A diet high in fat and animal meat has been linked to an increased risk of UC. The aim of our study was to use a multilayered, multi-omic approach to comprehensively characterize the effect of a low fat, high fiber diet or a high fat diet in UC patients. Methods We enrolled patients with UC who were in remission or had mild disease with a flare within the last 18 months. We used a cross-over design in which patients received two dietary interventions: a low fat diet (LFD), containing 10% total calories from fat with an omega 6 to 3 ratio of below 3:1, and an idealized standard American diet (SAD), containing 35–40% total calories from fat with an omega 6 to 3 ratio of 20–30:1. Each diet was four weeks long with a two-week wash-out in between. The diet was catered and delivered to patients’ homes. Clinical symptoms, quality of life, and biochemical data were collected. Stool was collected for microbiome and metabolomic analyses. The primary endpoint was to determine adherence to a specified diet using catered meals; the secondary endpoint was to determine the clinical and subclinical effects of a low fat, high fiber diet or high fat diet in UC. Results Baseline diets varied widely but were generally lower in fiber as well as fruits and vegetables and higher in saturated fat than either of the study diets. There was a high rate of adherence to catered meals (SAD=86.68%, LFD=84.8%) with a 96.8% and 94.33% adherence to fat for SAD and LFD respectively. Patients that started in remission remained in remission (partial Mayo and sIBDQ). Following a LFD, patients saw a 20% improvement in their quality of life as measured by sIBDQ compared to their baseline. The effect of diet intervention on microbial diversity was reflected in the beta diversity with a significant increase in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii after LFD. CRP, sIBDQ, IL-6, and IL1β had a significant effect on overall gut microbiota composition as measured by Bray Curtis beta diversity (PERMANOVA)(P<0.007, P<0.001, P<0.021, P<0.048 respectively). The top taxa that contributes the most to this microbial variation from these clinical parameters was Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Patients following a SAD had an increase in lauric acid, myristic acid, and N-oleoyl-L-phenylalanine with an increase in omega-6 metabolism pathways. Patients following a LFD had higher glycine, alanine, and phenyllactic acid with omega 3 metabolism pathways increased after LFD. Conclusions A low fat, high fiber diet is well tolerated and did not increase biochemical markers of inflammation. Catered meals and collection of microbiome, metabolome and biochemical data may allow early stratification of diet responders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Olson ◽  
Katie Vieyra ◽  
Alexandra Polasky ◽  
Amy Best ◽  
Lois Durant ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives To assess the overall nutritional quality of meals chosen by undergraduate students during weekday lunches at campus all-you-care-to-eat dining halls. Methods A previously validated exit survey was used to collect self-reported data from undergraduate students on foods and beverages they consumed during a single visit to two all-you-care-to-eat dining halls on the George Mason University Fairfax campus, during 4 weeks. (n = 468) Nutritional quality of each meal was evaluated on a 7-point rubric, according to the ‘Wellness Meal’ standards from the Partnership for a Healthier America: ≤700 kilocalories, ≤10% calories from saturated fat, ≤800 mg sodium, ≥2 ounces whole grains, ≥1 cup lowfat dairy, ≥ 1.75 cups fruits and vegetables, and ≥ 2 ounces lean protein. Results Of the maximum score of 7 on the meal nutritional quality rubric, 4 participants earned the highest score of 5, whereas 43, 150, 132, 88, and 51 participants had scores of 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0, respectively. The most commonly attained rubric standard was saturated fat, where 60% of participants consumed ≤ 10% calories from saturated fat and average consumption was 9.1% (± 5.4%) of calories. The least achieved rubric category was lowfat dairy, where only 2% of students consumed 1 cup equivalent, followed by only 9% of participants having consumed the 2 ounce equivalent of whole grains. Approximately one-third of students met calorie, lean protein, sodium, and fruit/vegetable standards. Conclusions Despite a wide variety of food options in the campus all-you-care-to-eat dining halls during the lunch hours, most undergraduate students consumed meals of subpar nutritional quality, with the vast majority meeting fewer than half the categories on the meal nutritional quality rubric. All-you-care-to-eat university dining halls may be a prime location for nutrition education and interventions. Funding Sources This research was funded by the George Mason University Provost's Multidisciplinary Research Award.


1990 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara A. Pieper ◽  
Wendla Kushion ◽  
Susan Gaida

Twenty married couples with one partner diagnosed as having diabetes at age 40 or older within the past 5 years participated in this study. Participants completed the diabetes or family version of Beliefs About Diabetes (BAD) and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). Results showed that perceived barriers to diet and to medication by the person with diabetes were associated with higher marital satisfaction and quality of marriage. In contrast, for the nondiabetic spouse, the perceived benefits of diet were negatively associated with the ability to work with the diabetic spouse. Additional research is needed to better understand the effect of diabetes on the marital relationship.


2011 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 725-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
GM Subba Rao ◽  
T Vijayapushapm ◽  
K Venkaiah ◽  
V Pavarala

Objective: To assess quantity and quality of nutrition and food safety information in science textbooks prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India for grades I through X. Design: Content analysis. Methods: A coding scheme was developed for quantitative and qualitative analyses. Two investigators independently coded the data and inter-coder reliability was assessed using Cohen’s Kappa. The inferences were then reviewed by an expert group. Results: There was high agreement (Kappa = 0.89) between coders. Nutrition topics got > 10% pages in textbooks of grades I to VII, while they were omitted in subsequent grades. Food safety got a mere 1% of page allocation only in grades I to III books. Over 25% of biology illustrations related to nutrition in grades I, II and IV but not in others. Nutrition topics in textbooks beyond grade IV were repetitive and inconsistent. Some illustrations depicted uncommon foods and had urban bias. Conclusions: Nutrition and food safety content in science textbooks is low. Important topics such as nutritional needs during adolescence, obesity, unhealthy foods and food labelling are not covered. These findings provide direction for strengthening textbook content to promote nutrition education in schools.


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