VIDEO: ‘Presentation really matters’ when advising patients to work with IBD dietitian
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LAS VEGAS — In a Healio video exclusive, Stacey Collins, MA, RDN/LD, highlights the importance of working with dietitians who specialize in inflammatory bowel disease and underscores their role on a patient’s care team.
“Over 65% of patients report that food affects their symptoms a lot more severely, yet 69% of patients report that they’ve never actually received any nutrition information about their diet as it pertains to their IBD diagnosis,” Collins, a registered IBD dietitian, said. “Even though diet research is continuing to evolve and emerge, we have enough research to confirm that diet in IBD makes a difference when it comes to making patients’ response to medications increase.”
When it comes to hiring a dietitian, Collins advised practices to understand the distinction between nutritionists and dietitians and ensure your candidate is licensed by the state. And although currently there are no credentials to distinguish between a general and specialized dietitian, candidates should display an interest in IBD and have experience as part of an IBD care team.
Collins also noted that recent research has shown that “the majority of patients with IBD are making self-directed, nutritionally inadequate dietary modifications,” highlighting the need for dietitians who specialize in caring for these individuals.
“Presentation really matters,” she said. “We have to make sure that patients understand that we are IBD-trained, experienced dietitians.”
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Collins S. The ins and outs of nutritional support: Choosing your IBD dietitian and working with available resources. Presented at: Crohn’s & Colitis Congress; Jan. 25-27, 2024; Las Vegas.
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