A Smarter MNT

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            Healthcare professionals, including dietitians, constantly struggle with patient adherence.  A physician may prescribe an individual a pharmaceutical intervention, however, adherence lies upon the responsibility of the patient and/or caregiver.  Similarly, a physical therapist may prescribe a rehabilitation strategy in an outpatient setting, but will that individual follow through with the routine?  Not always.  These struggles are no stranger among the field of nutrition and dietetics.  Medical nutrition therapies prescribed by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) may be tough for many individuals to adhere by.  Let’s take a carbohydrate controlled diet for a type II diabetes patient into consideration.  After educating the patient, they are on their own until their next follow up.  The exchange system, portion sizes, types of carbohydrates, and food choices can all be overwhelming.  So, how can we help bridge this gap?

A new piece of technology, called the Smart Plate, may not only benefit individuals in this type of situation, but also aid RDNs in monitoring and evaluating patients’ diets.  The Smart Plate is a three-section plate with sensitive scales positioned in each section.  The user fills their plate with a typical meal or snack, snaps a picture using the mobile app, and receives detailed nutrition information in seconds.  This data is saved and logged to their account.  Healthcare systems could essentially collaborate with these databases and pull real-time data into electronic health records.  This may potentially improve how RDNs monitor and evaluate individuals in an outpatient setting.  The telehealth field is ever-expanding.  We may see some variation of this concept in the near future.

https://www.getsmartplate.com/

SM

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