Grant: Health System Impact Fellowships - PostDoc Central Canada 2-year

Nutrition is essential to prevent and recover from many health conditions. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) such as doctors, nurses, and kinesiologists, can help in guiding people to adequate nutrition resources. However, because of a lack of proper nutrition education in medical school and allied-health programs, HCPs might feel less comfortable discussing nutrition-related topics. This can decrease the confidence of patients in their care team and create confusion about nutrition and food choices. The goal of this project is to develop a program, Nutrition in Medical Education (NutriMEd), for HCPs in training (e.g., medical residents, nursing students) and current HCPs, excluding current dietetic students and dietitians. This evidence-based bilingual (English and French) program will include nutrition videos and text summaries in four proposed categories (nutrition 101, nutrition and food, nutrition through life, nutrition and health) combined with quizzes and case studies. After program development, 240 HCPs in training and current HCPs will be invited to access the program for three months in a self-guided format or through four facilitated online workshops of two hours each given throughout the three months. Changes in confidence in providing nutritional guidance and nutrition knowledge before and after accessing NutriMEd, and satisfaction after the three months will be evaluated. A sub-group of participants will be invited to focus groups to explore their participation experience and how NutriMEd can be implemented in their medical learning and practice. This project will allow the development of an evidence-based nutrition program targeting confidence in providing nutritional guidance among HCPs and testing methods of delivery (self-guided online access or facilitated online workshops). This program may have potential impacts on improving healthcare services, providing better nutrition interventions for individuals, and leading to greater patient satisfaction.