Practice PRESIDENT’S PAGE
Research: ADA’s commitment Dietetics is the integration and application of principles derived from the sciences of nutrition, biochemistry, physiology, food management and behavioral and social sciences to achieve and maintain people’s health; therefore, dietetics research is a dynamic collaborative and assimilative endeavor.—From ADA’s Research Philosophy
DA members work in a wide variety of occupations and have countless different professional interests, abilities, and approaches to our jobs. But we all have something in common: we work in a profession that is based on science. For that reason, solid and rigorous scientific research must be the foundation of dietetics. One of the Association’s strategic goals directly addresses the need to ensure that the right kind of research is funded and conducted. Practice, education, policy: every aspect of what we do should be based on the best available research. If our profession is to remain competitive, if we are to maintain our status as the leading authorities in food and nutrition, research must answer the key questions for which dietetics professionals need answers.
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Research Philosophy A number of recent Association initiatives and developments are putting us on the right track to success. Last January, the House of Delegates adopted a Research Philosophy to guide the Association and all members. It states that ADA “uses research as the basis of decisions, policy, and communication in a variety of roles. The Association’s organizational roles related to research include advocating, facilitating, convening, funding, disseminating, and Marianne Smith Edge educating its members. The Association accomplishes these roles collaboratively with other scientists and organizations.” ■ In August, ADA’s Research Committee identified nine research priority areas for the dietetics profession. Practicing dietetics professionals helped identify these key areas that are directly related to issues we face on a daily basis; as a result, ADA’s research priorities truly reflect the needs of the profession. Answers to questions raised by research in these areas are critical to our ability to move the dietetics profession forward: 1. Prevention and treatment of obesity and associated chronic diseases 2. Effectiveness of nutrition and lifestyle change interventions 3. Translation of research into nutrition interventions and programs 4. Nutrition indicators and outcome measures 5. Delivery and reimbursement of dietetic services 6. Dietetics education and retention 7. Access to safe and secure food supply 8. Customer satisfaction 9. Nutrients and gene expression
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Research and Evidence-based Practice Dietetics professionals have always used “evidence” as we practice our profession. But we have not always used a true “evidence-based approach,” which involves systematically reviewing and evaluating the body of literature addressing an important practice question. It is this approach, in which a conscious effort is made to characterize the entire body of research instead of a single study, that is the hallmark of a true evidence-based approach. I am proud to say ADA is a leader in this area, putting dietetics professionals in the enviable position of possessing a compendium of existing research at their fingertips when providing nutrition care for clients. Solid research also lies at the heart of ADA’s commitment to the evidence-based approach in setting food and nutrition policy. As they consider how to best establish the basis for evaluating qualified health claims and dietary guidelines, both the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services cited ADA as a leader in highlighting the benefits of close evaluation of research. Earlier this year, ADA was identified in a book by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations as applying the principles of evidence-based practice in the development of our Medical Nutrition Therapy EvidenceBased Guides for Practice. Earlier this year, in a letter to President Bush, ADA urged the administration to address our priority areas; we have since received a response from the Department of Health and Human Services acknowledging the importance of knowing our profession’s research needs. Research Network For dietetics professionals who are not researchers but want to make a contribution to growth in knowledge, a dietetics practice-based research network may be just the thing. An article in the May Journal (pp 626-632) describes how this type of network has worked in other professions and proposes how it might work for ADA. If you are interested in learning more about a dietetics practicebased research network, visit www.eatright.org/Member/ index_16970.cfm. Carol Shanklin
Research Matters The bottom line is, research matters for all dietetics professionals! And all ADA members should be involved in research in some way if our profession is to grow and advance. —Marianne Smith Edge, MS, RD, LD, FADA
[email protected] —Carol Shanklin, PhD, RD, Chair, ADA Research Committee
[email protected] doi:10.1016/j.jada.2003.10.040
