In our technological era, the widespread use of the internet and personal communication devices has had a profound impact on health practice. Recently, telecoaching has been used in place of in-person visits to physicians, registered dietitians and other health-care practitioners. Preliminary research has shown that telecoaching can be just as effective as in-person visits, improve access to health and nutrition care, and save health insurance dollars.

Telecoaching, called telemedicine in the medical world, uses personal communication and technology devices such as a phone, personal computer, or tablet to provide diagnoses and treatment. Telemedicine allows patients to overcome barriers to in-person nutrition services such as busy schedules, child care, distance and transportation.

It has been documented as being effective for weight loss, eating disorders, diabetes, heart disease, artificial nutrition support and routine check-ups. Telecoaching can reduce appointment time while still providing quality care. Brief virtual visits may prevent additional unnecessary visits to medical facilities for care and eliminate the need for a costly in-person visit with a medical or nutrition professional. With any new method of practice, it is essential that it be acceptable to providers and patients, and telecoaching has a high satisfaction rate, with the quality of care rated as comparable to in-person visits.

Telecoaching for nutrition interventions is a convenient way to talk to an expert, save you time and improve your health outcomes.

If you are interested in services at the Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center, we offer telecoaching for all nutrition needs, from weight and body composition concerns to chronic condition prevention and management.

For more recipes and health tip sheets, visit the Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center’s website, as well as the College of Health and Human Sciences Pinterest board.