Nutrition

Select PAs participating in the PA Foundation’s Nutrition Outreach Fellowship have benefited from the program’s training and materials to educate patients with limited knowledge of nutrition and its impact on chronic disease. Five of the Fellows shared lessons learned with AAPA.

PAs are in a unique position to be leaders in nutrition management on behalf of their patients. Addressing nutrition in sensitive ways can have a significant impact on patients’ health. Here are five tips for PAs as they counsel patients on nutrition.

Meal planning is critical for patients with type 2 diabetes and PAs can be challenged to provide recommendations to help patients to manage blood sugar levels. A new study provides evidence to help PAs advise patients about sensible options for diabetes-specific meal and snack replacement.

Although primary care PA Darrin Cottle, PA-C, RD, is not actively treating hospitalized patients with COVID-19, he spends lots of time counseling patients about the virus when he sees them in his clinical practice. They discuss testing, how long to quarantine, use of masks, and how to support a healthy immune system.

Healthcare providers know that good health starts with good nutrition. Nutritionist and diabetes educator Ellen Mandel, PA-C, DMH, MPA, MS, RDN, CDE, offers suggestions to PAs and PA students about how to talk to patients about nutrition.