title: Time for food - training physiatrists in nutritional prescription.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sub-optimal nutrition is a leading factor in all-cause mortality, the preponderance of non-communicable chronic diseases, and various health conditions that are treated by physiatrists, such as stroke and musculoske-letal disorders. Furthermore, patients with chronic pain have a high prevalence of nutritional deficiencies, and malnutrition has been associated with limited rehabilitation outcomes in elderly patients with hospital-associated deconditioning. Thus, physiatrists may find it valuable to include nutrition in their patient services. However, discussion of nutritional counselling in the physiatry literature is rare.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To inform physiatrists about including nutritional counselling as part of the treatment they provide.
  
  
  METHODS
  The paper reviews recommended communication skills, behavioural change strategies, and opportunities for inter-professional collaboration. Further resources to educate physiatrists both in nutritional prescription and in improving their own personal health behaviours are provided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Training physiatrists to address nutrition is a step-wise process, described here.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02129 Boston, USA. rpolak@partners.org.
authors.forename: Rani
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Polak
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dacey
authors.forename: Edward M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D000072157:Physiatrists / Q000193:education*; D016896:Treatment Outcome