Dietary Counseling in Primary Care: A Tool for Cardiac-Focused Mediterranean Diet Education

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States (US). The Mediterranean diet has been studied and shown to significantly improve cardiovascular outcomes. Providing dietary education, including the Mediterranean diet, in primary care is recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) and U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) for patients with cardiovascular disease. However, primary care providers may lack the tools to provide effective dietary education. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to develop and implement an evidence-based patient handout to support providers in educating patients with CVD about the Mediterranean diet. Methods: This project was implemented at a primary care clinic in Bountiful, Utah. Participating providers received education on the Mediterranean diet and an accompanying patient handout to use during clinic visits. Providers completed pre- and post-education surveys assessing their confidence in providing dietary counseling. Survey results were analyzed to assess changes in provider confidence following the intervention. Results: Six providers participated. Average confidence scores increased across all survey domains, including educating patients on the Mediterranean diet (3.33 to 4.83), answering patient questions (4.00 to 5.00), tailoring education for CVD (3.83 to 4.83), and providing specific diet examples (3.33 to 5.00). Conclusions: A brief provider education session and patient handout improved provider confidence in delivering Mediterranean diet counseling in primary care. Integrating simple, evidence-based tools may help bridge gaps in dietary education for patients with cardiovascular disease.