Physicians' and Nurses' knowledge and attitude towards nutritional therapy in diabetes

Nutritional therapy is an integral component of diabetes management. It's main goals are to attain and maintain normal blood glucose levels and to prevent and treat the chronic complication of diabetes. It is recommended that a registered dietitian will provide the dietary treatment but it is essential that all the medical team members will have the required and updated nutritional knowledge in order to support the patient in adopting a healthy life style. The purpose of this research was to assess nutritional knowledge and attitudes of physicians and nurses toward the dietary treatment of diabetic patients and to determine their involvement in the nutritional therapy. Out of 99 family physicians and nurses in the south district of Clalit Health Services who were approached by the researchers a total of 67, 34 physicians and 33 nurses, participated in this analysis and returned their completed questionnaires. The results indicate lack of knowledge towards nutritional therapy in diabetes with an average score of 48%. The average score (percent of correct answers) of physicians was significantly higher than the nurses (50.9% vs. 44.5% respectively p<0.05). Both groups were aware of the purpose and importance of the nutritional therapy and how to integrate fruit in the patient's diet (91% vs. 92% respectively). Lack of knowledge was found in the area of dietary fat and diabetes, the definition of the glycemic index and in recognition of food containing carbohydrates/mono-unsaturated fats. Nonetheless, physicians and nurses reported that they are involved in the nutritional therapy. Over 90% provide nutritional advice to diabetic patients regularly and 56% even prescribe a diet for them. On the one hand, these findings indicate lack of knowledge concerning the nutritional therapy in diabetes among family physicians and nurses but, on the other hand, there is also significant involvement of the health team in the treatment. We recommend an on-going nutritional education program for the medical staff with the dietitian as the education leader and the main advisor.