It would be really great if I had greater confidence and ability there: Understanding the primary care physician experience with nutrition in training, clinical practice, and interprofessional collaboration
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background: Primary care physicians (PCPs) are on the front lines of health promotion and disease prevention, yet evidence supports a longstanding gap in physicians’ capacity to counsel about diet, a key factor in patient health and chronic disease risk. Momentum to address the nutrition training needs of physicians is growing; however, challenges PCPs experience due to inadequate training are further complicated by clinical practice barriers. This study seeks to better understand the complex problem PCPs face addressing nutrition with patients to inform potential solutions. Methods and findings: This qualitative study takes a design thinking approach to understanding the problem by learning from PCPs about their experience, challenges, and priorities addressing nutrition with patients. Findings from semi-structured interviews with 32 PCPs revealed that while they value nutrition and believe they have an important role in addressing diet with patients, their role as a generalist in addressing nutrition lacks clarity. PCPs describe learning their current approach to nutrition primarily outside of formal medical training, resulting in variability and inconsistency in approaches and recommendations and general frustrations about their ability to give actionable guidance. While registered dietitians (RDs) are often viewed as valuable support for patients, PCPs describe multiple challenges to RD utilization and subsequently at times may be the only ones with the opportunity to address diet with patients. Additional system- and societal-level barriers, such as time limitations and the food environment, further complicate PCPs’ experiences advising patients about nutrition. Main limitations of this study are limited generalizability from recruiting graduates of a single medical school and PCPs with greater interest in nutrition or more frustration with their current approach to nutrition may have been more likely to participate. Conclusions: Our results support the need to clearly define a realistic role for PCPs as generalists addressing nutrition. Clarified expectations in turn can inform nutrition training of physicians and guiding frameworks and strategies for giving practical, evidence-based nutrition guidance. PCPs also need increased support through access to resources, strategies to improve RD collaboration, and attention to system- and societal-level challenges influencing dietary interventions in primary care.
Source: UNC Libraries
DOI: 10.17615/eb41-5z47
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Subfield: Health Information Management
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Singapore Food Agency, Yamada Science Foundation, Downs Family, Language Literacy and Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Deanship of Scientific Research, King Khalid University, Rosalind Franklin Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, American Cancer Society, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Welch Foundation, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, American Heart Association, Whitehall Foundation, European Molecular Biology Organization, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Konica Minolta Imaging Science Foundation, Takeda Science Foundation, City University of Hong Kong, Nakatomi Foundation, Uehara Memorial Foundation, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Wellcome Trust, Broad Institute, Réseau québécois de recherche sur le vieillissement, UK Research and Innovation, Heritage Medical Research Institute, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, University Grants Commission of Bangladesh, Stichting De Cock-Hadders, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, European Space Agency, Den A. P. Møllerske Støttefond, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Leverhulme Trust, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Rosetrees Trust, European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fundación Científica Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer, Generalitat de Catalunya, Chang Gung University, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, National Research Foundation of Korea, Kowa Life Science Foundation, Narodowe Centrum Nauki, Vetenskapsrådet, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province, Isaac Newton Trust, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Haramaya University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province, Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province, Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen, Universidad de Antioquia, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, University of Dhaka, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, Stichting tot Steun Vereniging tot Christelijke Verzorging van Geestes- en Zenuwzieken, Manpei Suzuki Diabetes Foundation, Murata Science Foundation, Universidad del Rosario, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, Association Neurofibromatoses et Recklinghause, Thailand Science Research and Innovation, Société Française d'Hématologie, National Institutes of Health, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute, National Outstanding Youth Science Fund Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Project, Young Scientists Fund, National Natural Science Foundation of China-Yunnan Joint Fund, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Science and Technology and Industrial Development of Jiangxi Traditional Medicine, Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province, National Institute on Aging, Office of Naval Research, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH Office of the Director, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fogarty International Center, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Army Research Office, HORIZON EUROPE Health, Bayer in The US, Office of Infrastructure, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W7201852702
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