6 ways to improve your practice
The following strategies can be of great help in getting your patients to stick with your practice, lose weight, and refer you.
As a Nutritionist, it can be frustrating when patients do not adhere to your consultation. That they cancel their appointments again and again, that they do not follow the original structure of the meal plan. Or they simply do not commit to practicing health and nutrition recommendations in the short, medium or long term. The importance of adherence to the treatment offered in the nutritional consultation lies in:
- Positively impact your health, especially to reduce the risks of chronic diseases.
- Achieve a feeling of satisfaction for having met personal and health objectives. The following strategies can be of great help to help your patients stick to a healthy life in the short and long term:
1.-Forget about complicated plans and recommendations
For some patients it can be overwhelming to undergo one or more health treatments, design your plans/recommendations in such a way that they are easy to understand and follow. The following ideas are focused on patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes: *
- Structured plans with breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner options.
- Provide the supermarket list.
- Tips to control the desire to eat when you are not hungry.
- Teach portions for each food group.
- Provide long-term food variety and flexibility.
2. Be interested and create an environment of trust
Be open to feedback about what works, what is difficult to follow, and individual preferences. The efforts of the health team to help solve a problem or adapt recommendations to your lifestyle have been reported as a great driver for sticking to treatment. Another tool to achieve an environment of trust and introspection is the “Motivational Interview”. Studies with trained nutritionists in different clinical settings have given positive results in behavioral changes and attachment on the part of patients.
3. Individual interventions and realistic goals
Be realistic in your goals and recommendations, especially considering the following: -Not all people work the same way.
- Not all patients have the same abilities to put the recommendations into practice or follow the eating plan.
4. Team up with other health professionals
Remember that you don’t have to know everything, rely on other disciplines and health professionals to achieve optimal and complete treatment.
5. Explain the reason for the recommendations
Use science-based information to teach your patients the importance of following a certain recommendation. The goal is for them to learn to make better choices that realistically and positively impact their health.
6. Monitor frequently
Don’t lose track of your patients for too long, regular monitoring has been reported as key to maintaining a long-term healthy life. Seeing patients as a WHOLE helps to generate empathy and understand that there are different FACTORS that can interfere with adequate attachment. And they are not necessarily under the control of the nutritionist: social, economic, health condition, type of treatment and related to the emotional state, ideas and personality of each patient. **I give you 4 Key Practices to grow your practice but these classes will only be FREE today. CLICK here
