Improving Dietary Habits in Type 2 Diabetes: A Nutritional Education Implementation
Abstract
Problem: A diverse primary care clinic in a mid-Atlantic suburb noted a lack of standardized nutrition education for adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Evidence suggests standardized education using the American Diabetes Association (ADA) “Plan Your Portions” plate tool for adults with T2D can improve outcomes for patients with diabetes. Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project aims to improve the delivery and completion of staff-led training to increase dietary adherence among adults with T2D using the ADA “Plan Your Portions” plate tool. Methods: Any patient with T2D and a hemoglobinA1C (HgbA1C) > 7% is scheduled for a follow-up appointment by the medical assistant (MA) to discuss their bloodwork. The provider discusses the patient’s bloodwork and determines the need for a diet education session. The MA administers the Patient Dietary Adherence Questionnaire (PDAQ) to assess dietary habits and provides education via colorful copies of the ADA plate tool, which illustrate the types/volumes of foods that patients can eat on a nine-inch plate. The MA documents education completion, pre-PDAQ scores, and phone call follow-up dates for tracking. Four weeks later the MA calls the patient to assess their diet adherence via a post-PDAQ. Results: Data showed 55% of eligible patients received nutrition education. 95% of education sessions were charted, and 64% of patients completed both pre and post surveys. Notably, 90% of eligible T2D patients experienced an overall mean pre/post PDAQ point increase of 10, achieving an overall PDAQ score of 36-63, demonstrating “good” adherence to a healthy diet for at least four of seven days. Conclusions: Standardized delivery of nutrition education can increase patient dietary adherence among adult T2D patients. Additional follow-up is needed to assess for an impact on future HgbA1C scores and disease progression.Identifier to cite or link to this item
http://hdl.handle.net/10713/20896Collections
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