Engagement, Innovation, and Impact in a Dietitian Contact Centre: The EatRight Ontario Experience
Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
19 February 2020
Abstract
Purpose: EatRight Ontario (ERO), a multi-modal dietitian service (phone, email, web), provided the public and health intermediaries with healthy eating advice, professional support, and health promotion tools from 2007 to 2018. An evaluation of ERO was conducted to assess the impact of the model on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour for consumers, utilization, and support levels and satisfaction provided to health intermediaries.
Methods: Consumer clients were sent a survey 1–4 weeks after using the ERO service to capture self-reported dietary changes, intentions, nutritional knowledge, and satisfaction. Health intermediaries were recruited through an electronic ERO newsletter and asked about how ERO supported their practice.
Results: Of the 867 consumer respondents, 92% had either made a change or indicated that information from ERO confirmed their present behaviour, and 96% indicated they would recommend the services to others. Of the 337 health intermediaries who responded 71% indicated that ERO provided services they could not deliver.
Conclusions: ERO’s multi-modal dietitian contact centre provides a model for implementing successful remote service access for consumers and professionals to support healthy eating across diverse demographics and geographies, including those in geographically underserved areas.
Résumé
Objectif. Saine alimentation Ontario (SAO), un service de diététistes multimodal (téléphone, courriel, Web), a fourni au public et aux intermédiaires de la santé des conseils sur la saine alimentation, du soutien professionnel et des outils de promotion de la santé de 2007 à 2018. Une évaluation de SAO a été menée pour évaluer l’impact du modèle sur les connaissances, les attitudes et les comportements des consommateurs, son utilisation, et les niveaux de soutien et la satisfaction des intermédiaires de la santé.
Méthodes. Les clients consommateurs ont reçu un sondage de 1 à 4 semaines après avoir utilisé le service de SAO afin de dresser un portrait des changements aux régimes alimentaires autodéclarés, des intentions, des connaissances sur la nutrition et de la satisfaction. Les intermédiaires de la santé ont été recrutés au moyen d’un bulletin électronique de SAO et questionnés au sujet de la manière dont SAO appuie leur pratique.
Résultats. Des 867 répondants consommateurs, 92 % ont soit apporté un changement ou indiqué que l’information de SAO a confirmé leur comportement présent, et 96 % ont indiqué qu’ils recommanderaient ce service à d’autres. Des 337 intermédiaires de la santé qui ont répondu au sondage, 71 % ont indiqué que SAO offre des services qu’ils ne peuvent pas fournir.
Conclusions. Le centre de contacts de diététistes multimodal de SAO est un modèle de mise en œuvre réussie d’accès à des services à distance pour les consommateurs et les professionnels, et ce modèle permet de favoriser une saine alimentation chez des personnes de différents profils démographiques et géographiques, y compris des régions mal desservies géographiquement.
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Conflicts of interest: CN, BF, JK, AH, and JL were paid by Eat Right Ontario to conduct the evaluation. No restrictions were placed on the findings by ERO or the funder. HH, CM, and HB were all staff on the ERO initiative.
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Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 81 • Number 3 • September 2020
Pages: 106 - 111
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Version of record online: 19 February 2020
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© 2020.
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Cameron D.NormanPhD, MDes, CE, HelenHaresignMSc, FDC, RD, BarryForerPhD, ChristineMehlingMSc, RD, JudithKrajnakPhD, HoneyBloombergMHSc, RD, AdamHoweMA, and JeanneLegareDN, MPA. 2020. Engagement, Innovation, and Impact in a Dietitian Contact Centre: The EatRight Ontario Experience. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research.
81(3): 106-111. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2020-002
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