Selected Podcast
How Does Medical Nutrition Therapy Help with Diabetes?
Medical Nutrition Therapy is considered a key component of diabetes education and management by the CDC. One of the benefits is lowering the A1C level, but it does much more than that. Learn from dietitian and diabetes educator Jocelyne Loran what this program is, how it works and the many benefits it offers to patients who have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
Featured Speaker:
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. Originally born and raised in the DMV, Jocelyne earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland, College Park in May 2015. After graduating from college, she went on to complete a Dietetic Internship Program with Sodexo in June 2016. Jocelyne has been a Registered Dietitian for over six years with previous experience as both an inpatient clinical dietitian in an acute care setting and an outpatient dietitian and diabetes educator counseling patients in the following areas: gestational diabetes, diabetes self-management, prediabetes, bariatric nutrition, diabetes nutrition, and weight management. Most recently, Jocelyne was the Diabetes Program Coordinator at UM Capital Region Medical Center and worked to maintain the diabetes program’s accreditation. She has since transitioned into a new role as a Clinical Dietitian Specialist and Diabetes Educator at UM Charles Regional Medical Center. At Charles Regional, Jocelyne is working under a grant to launch a Medical Nutrition Therapy Program and expand services provided by the Center for Diabetes Education. Transcription:
How Does Medical Nutrition Therapy Help with Diabetes?
Caitlin Whyte: Welcome to the Live Greater podcast series. Information for a Healthier You From the University of Maryland Medical System. Medical Nutrition Therapy is considered a key component of diabetes education and management by the CDC. One of the benefits is lowering the A1c level, but it does much more than that.
Today, we're joined by dietician and diabetes educator, Jocelyne Loran. She'll tell us what this program is, how it works, and the many benefits it offers to patients who have type I or type II diabetes. So Jocelyne, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers medical nutrition therapy a key component of diabetes education and management. So could you explain for us what MNT is and how it helps patients diagnosed with both type I and type II diabetes?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: Well, Medical Nutrition Therapy, also known as MNT, is evidence-based, individualized, patient-centered nutrition treatment, and this can only be provided by a registered dietician. It consists of the nutrition care process, which includes assessment and intervention and motivational interviewing, nutrition counseling and nutrition education. These are also key components of MNT. It has been proven to help people with diabetes successfully reduce their A1c levels and better manage their condition by just teaching them how to balance their meals and eat well overall.
Caitlin Whyte: So in working with patients, what kinds of assessments do you make in developing a care plan?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: Well, during an initial assessment with a patient, I obtain a lot of information. This includes anthropometric information, such as their height and weight, medical history, labs, medications, food allergies, typical dietary intake, et cetera. And this information that I obtain guides me to create a nutrition diagnosis. Once I have a diagnosis, I can then create a nutrition intervention, and it could be as simple as providing a heart-healthy nutrition education packet and explaining the components of a heart-healthy meal plan. Or another intervention could be utilizing food models to help create an activity where my patient can sort the different food items into categories, which will help them better understand which foods will impact their blood sugar levels. After conducting a nutrition intervention, I can then monitor and evaluate my patient's progress at subsequent visits.
Caitlin Whyte: So along with lowering a patient's A1c level, what are some of the goals of an MNT care plan? And where does lifestyle change fit into that?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: Well, the goals of an MNT care plan, that's going to vary based on the patient. No two individuals are like exactly the same, so I have to consider each patient's unique medical history and their lifestyle factors. But potential goals of an MNT care plan could be to lose weight for someone or to decrease their overall protein intake, to increase their intake of fibrous foods or to increase physical activity. So yes, it can include lifestyle changes just based on the patient that I'm working with.
Caitlin Whyte: So, does MNT replace a traditional medical approach or how does that work?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: No, it doesn't. It actually complements a traditional medical approach. So dieticians, we work alongside physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and other members of the healthcare team to help patients achieve better health outcomes. But MNT specifically, it provides opportunity for an individual to fine tune their nutritional behaviors and then make appropriate lifestyle changes in order to achieve their overall health goals.
Caitlin Whyte: And of course, insurance is always an important question. Are MNT programs typically covered by medical insurance?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: Yes, insurance, that plays a large role. And thankfully, yes, MNT is a covered benefit by many insurance companies. However, the specifics of the M MNT coverage, that's going to vary based on the insurance company and the specific insurance plan. So, for example, one insurance company may allow a patient to have five hours of MNT during a calendar year versus another company that has unlimited MNT hours during calendar year.
On the other hand, Medicare, they cover MNT for patients with diabetes or kidney disease, or for individuals that have had a kidney transplant within the last 36 months. So, that's a bit different from private insurance. In Medicare, they cover three hours of MNT the initial year of referral and up to two hours of MNT for subsequent years. However, those hours are based on calendar year and cannot be carried over from year to year.
Caitlin Whyte: Gotcha. Well, Jocelyne, are there any last takeaways? Anything else you want people to know before we wrap up?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: Dieticians are awesome. And medical nutrition therapy, it treats a wide range of conditions and it is truly essential in today's society. However, as a dietician, it is not my job to be the food police, and I always stress to my patients that all foods can fit in moderation. It truly is just a balancing act.
Caitlin Whyte: Wonderful. Jocelyne, thank you so much for your time and for sharing this information today. You can find more shows just like this one at umms.org/podcast.
And thank you for listening to Live Greater a Health and Wellness podcast, brought to you by the University of Maryland Medical System. We look forward to you joining us again.
How Does Medical Nutrition Therapy Help with Diabetes?
Caitlin Whyte: Welcome to the Live Greater podcast series. Information for a Healthier You From the University of Maryland Medical System. Medical Nutrition Therapy is considered a key component of diabetes education and management by the CDC. One of the benefits is lowering the A1c level, but it does much more than that.
Today, we're joined by dietician and diabetes educator, Jocelyne Loran. She'll tell us what this program is, how it works, and the many benefits it offers to patients who have type I or type II diabetes. So Jocelyne, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers medical nutrition therapy a key component of diabetes education and management. So could you explain for us what MNT is and how it helps patients diagnosed with both type I and type II diabetes?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: Well, Medical Nutrition Therapy, also known as MNT, is evidence-based, individualized, patient-centered nutrition treatment, and this can only be provided by a registered dietician. It consists of the nutrition care process, which includes assessment and intervention and motivational interviewing, nutrition counseling and nutrition education. These are also key components of MNT. It has been proven to help people with diabetes successfully reduce their A1c levels and better manage their condition by just teaching them how to balance their meals and eat well overall.
Caitlin Whyte: So in working with patients, what kinds of assessments do you make in developing a care plan?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: Well, during an initial assessment with a patient, I obtain a lot of information. This includes anthropometric information, such as their height and weight, medical history, labs, medications, food allergies, typical dietary intake, et cetera. And this information that I obtain guides me to create a nutrition diagnosis. Once I have a diagnosis, I can then create a nutrition intervention, and it could be as simple as providing a heart-healthy nutrition education packet and explaining the components of a heart-healthy meal plan. Or another intervention could be utilizing food models to help create an activity where my patient can sort the different food items into categories, which will help them better understand which foods will impact their blood sugar levels. After conducting a nutrition intervention, I can then monitor and evaluate my patient's progress at subsequent visits.
Caitlin Whyte: So along with lowering a patient's A1c level, what are some of the goals of an MNT care plan? And where does lifestyle change fit into that?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: Well, the goals of an MNT care plan, that's going to vary based on the patient. No two individuals are like exactly the same, so I have to consider each patient's unique medical history and their lifestyle factors. But potential goals of an MNT care plan could be to lose weight for someone or to decrease their overall protein intake, to increase their intake of fibrous foods or to increase physical activity. So yes, it can include lifestyle changes just based on the patient that I'm working with.
Caitlin Whyte: So, does MNT replace a traditional medical approach or how does that work?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: No, it doesn't. It actually complements a traditional medical approach. So dieticians, we work alongside physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and other members of the healthcare team to help patients achieve better health outcomes. But MNT specifically, it provides opportunity for an individual to fine tune their nutritional behaviors and then make appropriate lifestyle changes in order to achieve their overall health goals.
Caitlin Whyte: And of course, insurance is always an important question. Are MNT programs typically covered by medical insurance?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: Yes, insurance, that plays a large role. And thankfully, yes, MNT is a covered benefit by many insurance companies. However, the specifics of the M MNT coverage, that's going to vary based on the insurance company and the specific insurance plan. So, for example, one insurance company may allow a patient to have five hours of MNT during a calendar year versus another company that has unlimited MNT hours during calendar year.
On the other hand, Medicare, they cover MNT for patients with diabetes or kidney disease, or for individuals that have had a kidney transplant within the last 36 months. So, that's a bit different from private insurance. In Medicare, they cover three hours of MNT the initial year of referral and up to two hours of MNT for subsequent years. However, those hours are based on calendar year and cannot be carried over from year to year.
Caitlin Whyte: Gotcha. Well, Jocelyne, are there any last takeaways? Anything else you want people to know before we wrap up?
Jocelyne Loran, RD, LDN, CDCES: Dieticians are awesome. And medical nutrition therapy, it treats a wide range of conditions and it is truly essential in today's society. However, as a dietician, it is not my job to be the food police, and I always stress to my patients that all foods can fit in moderation. It truly is just a balancing act.
Caitlin Whyte: Wonderful. Jocelyne, thank you so much for your time and for sharing this information today. You can find more shows just like this one at umms.org/podcast.
And thank you for listening to Live Greater a Health and Wellness podcast, brought to you by the University of Maryland Medical System. We look forward to you joining us again.