Sermo, a fast, frictionless HCP engagement platform providing the healthcare industry with real-time business insights and authentic physician touch points, of 1,000+ global healthcare providers (HCPs), has officially published the results from a new study, which found that majority (90%) are concerned regarding the promotion of fad diets on social media.
An example relaying the same would be how, despite recent social buzz surrounding protein-driven diets, no more than 5% of HCPs recommend them as a top choice for most patients, with even fewer favoring other social media trendy diets, such as intermittent fasting (4%) and keto diets (4%).
Furthermore, when asked what diet HCPs would recommend to most of their patients, 70% selected the Mediterranean Diet.
“The Mediterranean and DASH diets are recognized as gold standards for heart health, backed by robust science to lower heart disease risks and enhance overall wellness. I explain to my patients that these diets emphasize nutrient-rich, heart-protective foods and have proven their effectiveness in reducing cardiovascular events and managing chronic conditions,” said Dr. Shashank Jain, triple-board certified in cardiology, clinical cardiac electrophysiology, and internal medicine and Sermo Medical Advisory Board Member. “Meanwhile, the fad diets that you see all over social media often lack this solid scientific foundation and can mislead patients.”
Talk about the whole study on a slightly deeper level, we begin from the fact that, even though majority HCPs believe that it is primarily the healthcare provider’s responsibility to educate patients about nutrition, many feel that time constraints (38%) and insufficient training in nutrition counseling (22%) are the most significant barriers to effectively implement the same.
This is further contextualized by a meager third (32%) of HCPs feeling they had excellent or good nutrition education as part of their medical schooling. On top of it, HCPs also reported a perception that updates to nutritional guidelines are not adequately integrated into their continuing medical education (CME). In fact, 74% reported they only occasionally or rarely learn about these updates through their CME programs.
Next up, the given research shared a lowdown on supplements, a part of the report where it was revealed that 84% of HCPs always, often, or sometimes discuss their use with patients. When assessing the safety and effectiveness of supplements, providers were also found to rely on peer-reviewed clinical studies (67%), followed by regulatory oversight (51%), and guidance from medical associations (46%).
Markedly enough, scientific literature emerged as the first choice for 34% of HCPs, whereas 32% would consult the product’s website.
Among other things, it must be acknowledged that HCPs also support increasing food safety regulations due to their direct impact on public health.
For instance, 86% of U.S. HCPs were found to strongly support cancer warning labels being added to alcoholic beverages. Alongside that, 79% of HCPs supported reducing processed food consumption.
A contingent of 78% HCPs also supported a full ban on all artificial food dyes, with almost 61% of HCPs extremely or very concerned about microplastics in the food and water supply.
Rounding up highlights would be 65% of HCPs who believe there are moderate to significant safety issues with consuming raw milk. Even with all the recent talk around it, 68% of HCPs reported that patients in their practice rarely or never ask them about raw milk.
Founded almost 20 years ago, Sermo’s rise up the ranks stems from delivering real-time business insights and authentic physician touchpoints at the disposal of wider healthcare industry. The scale of company’s operations can also be gauged once you consider it presently boasts a community of more than 1M healthcare professionals.
“Nutrition plays a vital role not only in managing chronic diseases but also, perhaps more importantly, in preventative healthcare. With advancements in biometrics and AI-powered tools enabling a more personalized approach to medicine, the potential impact of nutrition has never been greater. However, unless healthcare providers receive comprehensive, up-to-date training in nutrition and are incentivized to integrate it into their practices, we risk missing critical opportunities to enhance patient outcomes and promote long-term wellness,” said Dr. Nat Fondell, board-certified family medicine physician, medical director for La Clinica’s Birch Grove Health Center and Sermo Medical Advisory Board Member.
