Nutrition and telephone counseling: Future implications for dietitians and teledietetics

摘要

The emerging area of telehealth has implications for dietetics and health initiatives. Dietitian telehealth centers in Canada provide access to registered dietitians for the public, professionals, and media, promoting knowledge and healthy behaviors and implementing government food and nutrition policy. A preliminary review of the expanding telehealth research demonstrates that telephone counseling by registered dietitians is effective in dietary behavior change and weight/diabetes management. Implications include considering the need for a systematic review of teledietetics, standards of practice and guidelines for teledietetics, use of the nutrition care process, and undergraduate and professional development opportunities to support the skills needed for telepractice.