Nutrition plays a massive role in health—think preventing chronic diseases like diabetes or heart disease—but doctors often get little training on it during medical school. A new pilot study, published on November 20, 2024, by Kat Shafto, explores whether a short, online nutrition course could help fill this gap for medical residents (doctors in training). The study, titled "Impact of Online Nutrition to Address Medical Education Gap", tested a 3-hour, self-paced course with some promising results—and a few challenges. Let's break it down.
What Was the Study About?
The idea was simple: create an online course that's quick, interactive, and flexible enough for busy residents to complete on their own time. Developed by the Gaples Institute, the course covered:
- Macronutrients (carbs, fats, proteins)
- Evidence-based diets (like Mediterranean or plant-based)
- Quick nutrition assessments (spotting patients' dietary issues)
- Motivational interviewing (helping patients make changes)
The study involved 76 residents from two universities—Northwestern McGaw University (NU) and the University of Minnesota (UMN). They took surveys before the course, right after, and 3 months later to see if it changed their knowledge, attitudes, or habits.
What Did They Find?
Here's the good news:
- Knowledge Boost: Residents' nutrition know-how jumped significantly. At UMN, scores went from 9.5 to 11.4 out of 14, and at NU, from 9.2 to 10.7. Even better, they still remembered it 3 months later.
- Attitude Shift: Before the course, 66% of residents thought it was their job to talk nutrition with patients. After? That jumped to 83%. They also started believing more in healthy eating for themselves.
- Easy to Scale: Being online and self-paced, the course doesn't need local experts, making it a potential fit for schools everywhere.
Now, the not-so-great news:
- No Practice Change: Residents still spent just 3.2 minutes per visit talking nutrition with patients—no increase. Their own eating habits (like veggie intake) didn't budge either.
- Completion Issues: Only 62% (47 out of 76) finished all the surveys. NU residents rocked it at 91% completion, but UMN lagged at 41%. Why? NU gave them specific time to do it; UMN didn't.
Why Does This Matter?
Doctors who know nutrition can make a huge difference—counseling patients could cut disease rates. But if residents don't get this training, that opportunity slips away. This study shows online learning can work to boost knowledge and confidence. The catch? It's not enough to change what they do—at least not yet.
What's Holding It Back?
The study had some hurdles:
- Small Group: With only 76 participants, it's hard to say this would work everywhere.
- Drop-Off: That 41% completion rate at UMN shows not everyone's on board without extra nudges.
- Short Follow-Up: Three months is a start, but what about a year later?
- Survey Limits: The questions weren't from a proven survey, so the results might not be rock-solid.
What's Next?
The researchers have some smart ideas to level up:
- Longer Tracking: Check if the changes stick after a year or more.
- Better Surveys: Use tested questions to make the data stronger.
- Time Slots: Give residents dedicated time to finish, like NU did.
Key Study Details
Study Design: Pilot study with 76 medical residents from two universitiesCourse Duration: 3 hours, self-paced online formatFollow-up Period: 3 months post-completionCompletion Rate: 62% overall (91% at NU, 41% at UMN)Knowledge Improvement: Significant increases maintained at 3-month follow-upPractice Changes: No measurable increase in nutrition counseling time or personal dietary habits
The Big Picture
This pilot study is a step forward. A 3-hour online course won't turn residents into nutrition gurus overnight, but it's a practical way to start closing the education gap. Knowledge and attitudes improved—that's a win. Getting them to act on it, though? That's the next challenge. With some tweaks, this could be a game-changer for how we train doctors to tackle nutrition head-on.
What do you think—could online courses like this reshape medical training? The evidence suggests they're a promising start, but we need more research to understand how to translate knowledge into practice effectively.