Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching: An Interprofessional Course for Pharmacy, Medical, and Dietetic Students.

Background Poor nutrition and lifestyle choices are major contributors to the development and progression of various chronic diseases. Enhancing patients' awareness of healthy nutrition and lifestyle habits by interprofessional healthcare teams can play a significant role in tackling many chronic diseases, particularly in underserved communities with inequitable access to healthcare and educational opportunities. However, healthcare professionals are not adequately prepared to provide effective, culturally competent nutrition and lifestyle coaching due to a lack of emphasis on these topics in the curricula of many healthcare professional programs. Objective This study introduces a virtual, interprofessional, team-based elective course to address the curricular gap in nutrition education among healthcare professional programs. Methods Quantitative and qualitative pre-/post-surveys were utilized to evaluate course impact on student's knowledge, confidence in coaching families, and interprofessional competencies. Quantitative pre-/post-training scores were analyzed by a two-tailed, Mann-Whitney test, where P < 0.05 indicated a significant difference. Additionally, student learning outcomes were assessed using readiness assurance tests and application exercises, along with end-of-course presentations and mock interviews. Results Pre-/post-course assessments (n = 16) demonstrated significant improvement in students' confidence in coaching families (20%; P = 0.01) and knowledge of coaching curriculum (87%; P < 0.001). Improvement in different interprofessional competencies ranged between 15% (P = 0.002) and 46% (P < 0.001). Course material/activities, facilitation, impact on learning new knowledge/skills/mindset, and application in future practice were applauded by 81-94% of students. Conclusion Positive outcomes of this course encourage future offerings and systematic incorporation of similar training in healthcare professional programs to prepare clinicians capable of transforming lives through interprofessional, patient-centered nutrition and lifestyle coaching.

Enhancing nutrition and lifestyle education for healthcare professional students through an interprofessional, team-based training program.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Nutrition and lifestyle modifications are effective interventions in tackling many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. However, healthcare professionals are not sufficiently trained in nutrition and lifestyle education. To address this gap, we established an interprofessional, team-based framework to train healthcare professional students on healthy nutrition and culturally competent dietary coaching and motivational interviewing. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Twelve doctor of pharmacy students from California Health Sciences University and three dietetic students from California State University, Fresno enrolled in this training program. Three pre-/post-surveys and one post-reflection worksheet were utilized to assess progress in student learning, including knowledge about obesity, confidence in coaching/mentoring families, perception of healthy nutrition, dietary habits, and interprofessional collaborative competencies. FINDINGS: Quantitative data and reflection worksheet thematic analysis revealed improvement in learner outcomes in the majority of the assessed areas. Students' knowledge about obesity and mentoring skills improved by 32%, knowledge about program curriculum improved by 167%, dietary habits improved by 28% and interprofessional competencies improved by 9%-34%. Thematic analysis of interprofessional educational reflection worksheets indicated positive reaction to the program, enhanced interprofessional outcomes, and potential application of acquired knowledge and skills on family and future patients. SUMMARY: Success of this interprofessional, team-based study encourages expanding the program to enroll more students from various healthcare specialties, including medical and nursing. This framework can be easily adapted by other healthcare programs to prepare healthcare providers to work interprofessionally and effectively include basic nutrition and lifestyle recommendations in disease management and preventive care.

Pediatric asthma for the primary care practitioner.

Asthma is a complex disease, involving many different allergic, inflammatory, and environmental components. It is a disease for which patient and family education and a team-based approach are paramount for successful management. Guidelines have been put forth by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which provide a helpful framework in which to begin to manage patients and to navigate the many medication choices available. It is only through diligent attention to control of asthma symptoms that improved quality of life and prevention of long-term sequelae are possible for the pediatric patient with asthma.