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President's page: Future search conference helps define new directions in practice, education, and credentialing
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ADA REPORTS
President's Page: Future Search Conference helps define new directions inpractice, education, and credentialing n 10 years, members of our profession may look back at 1994 as a pivotal year for several reasons; most notably, perhaps, as the year health care reform helped reshape the profession. This year may also be remembered as the time when a broad cross-section ofleaders, inside and outside the profession, mapped out a visionary strategy for moving dietetics practice, education, and credentialing boldly into the 21st century. Finding answers to some of the most difficult questions confronting the profession and, in those answers, keys to unlock a bright future, was the primary purpose of this summer's Future Search Conference, "Challenging the Future of Dietetic Education and Credentialing: Dialogue, Discovery, and Directions." The American Dietetic Association (ADA), through its Council on Education, and the Commission on Dietetic Registration examined what the profession might look like 10 or 20 years from now. It was a challenging, exciting, and passionate endeavor to define new directions in practice roles and to determine the ongoing educational requirements and credentialing strategies needed to keep the profes-
Sara Parks
PatricioalBabjak
sion contemporary and at the same time preserve our rich heritage. The conference was attended by more than 125 participants who represented more than 25 different dietetics practice areas crossing the entire spectrum of dietetics - academia, government agencies, private practice, media, hospitals, industry, and allied professionals. Attendees shared their views on many issues related to the dietetics profession's future. Their conclusions? The knowledge dietetics professionals pro-
JulieMaillet
vide about the role of foods and nutrition in health will grow in importance. The dietetics professional's role as a "nutrition coach" will expand as consumers become equal partners in decisions related to their health. On the other hand, the information tools expected to be available by the year 2000 will make part of the profession's body of knowledge readily available to other health care practitioners and consumers. Thus, the key to a vital profession lies in expeditiously carving out new opportunities and capitalizing on newtechnologies to meet the changing needs of the public. Conference participants identified or reaffirmed a number of changes likely to affect the profession over the near term and well into the future. For instance, the health care industry restructuring that began almost a decade ago will continue long past the current round of reform. A growing emphasis will be placed on building healthier communities. An expanding knowledge base will require ongoing learning on the part of health professionals to prevent knowledge obsolescence. Lifelong learning will be the new paradigm for consumers and teaching individuals how to learn will be an essential strategy for education. Integrated and managed-care health systems will be larger than we have come to 1046 / SEPTEMBER 1994 VOLUME 94 NUMBER 9
expect and will be a major supplier of future jobs. Positioning dietetics practitioners in these new systems will require greater professional sophistication. In an increasingly diverse marketplace, new opportunities will also be available in food manufacturing and foodservice. "Relationship marketing," that is, building long-term relationships with consumers to improve eating patterns and to achieve other nutrition goals, will be essential to improve customer retention and to maintain long-term partnerships with all of our key target audiences. Finally, electronic data interchange will dominate the profession, replacing current paper-oriented practices. Add to this the impact of current trends toward multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary practice roles and an exciting and challenging picture of dietetics in the decade ahead. WHY A FUTURES CONFERENCE? The dietetics profession is at a crossroads. Changes outside the profession threaten to diminish the role of the dietetics practitioner - unless we take the initiative to adapt to and create new opportunities. For Polly Fitz some time, the Board of Directors has been aware of the compelling need to identify new practice roles and to develop new and ongoing educational requirements and credentials for these roles. Bringing leading professionals together through the Future Search Conference was a key step in charting a course into the next century. Although a new concept to ADA, futures conferences are increasingly used as a strategy for long-term planning. In
Beverly Mitchell
our case this included analyzing historical
and current trends both inside and outside the profession to identify how major social, economic, political, and technological events will change the direction of our profession. These trends, placed in the context of ourmission and vision and the status of the profession today, provide a powerful base for predicting the future. Additionally, there was a need to examine the science of our profession carefully to make certain our practitioners bring to the marketplace the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the mandate of our mission and vision. ADA held the Future Search Conference because leaders of the profession wanted to "forge ahead" and create an environment where members would be prepared for a productive future, one where they are fully valued within the new practice roles needed by the public. The following objectives were set by the conference steering committee: * Explore future practice roles for the profession; * Determine strategic directions for education and credentialing; * Examine the scientific underpinnings of our profession; and * Explore the role of technology in moving forward a new agenda for dietetics practice, education, and research.
TOWARD A NEW FUTURE: CONFERENCE OUTCOMES Three powerful outcomes emerged from the conference that, when set in place, will move the profession into the 21st century: (a) a new vision ws created for practice, education, and credeiltialing; (b) a sries of value statements to guide this new vision was identify ied; and (c) specific recommendations were set forth t filt:l re practice roles, for new educational requirements, for restrucl during existing credentialing of these new practice roles, and or developing a technology strategy for consumers, members, and ADI)A sl aff. The new vision lor practice, education, aid credentialing strongly supports AlIA's broader mission and our vision "to shape the food choices and impact te nutritional status of the public." Participants p)redi( ted tie following changes in how we meet that vision. * Dietetics practitioners will be leaders in affecting the optimal nutritional health ofthe publllic by shaping food choices through the use ofi lllovat ive "multitecnl ology," collaborative efforts wit h other disciplines, and diversity in practice. Leadership also implies vision, change, risk taking, and mentoring. Conference participants identified ald envisioned dozens of exciting new pract ice roles in private practice, comunity programs, training and elllucation, hospitality management, development of new food products, and home health care. In addition, new roles were envisioned in long-term and elder care, government and political agencies, schools, witness programs, andl wellness programs. * I)iet(etics educational programs will develop and sustain leaders in food and nutrition by continually linking knowledge to performiance t hrol gh a lifetime continiull of learning and research. To prepare for t hese Itew roles, liet;etics dedication must also change. New corpelItenies w ill be identified and new models must be developed o facilitate entry and reentry points to educational programs: existing programs will be restructured to facilitate umovemet from oll prac tice role to another. The old educational paradigms nmlust be questioned anti ew strategies developed. No single program (cain minet t;he needs of all of these roles. Recognit.iol tllat lenlters will change careers within the profession numerous tillles during their lifetime requires creation of lifelong learning models and opportunities. a Dietetics credentialing programs, through leadership and collaborat ion, will ensure, the continuing competence of providers of lool andi nutrition services by setting high standards, developing quality assessneillt proce(dlres, and supporting a socially responsible a(collltability inechanisin. To protect the health and safety of the public, a new credentialing system must be developed to recognize Ihe diverse roles of food and nutrition professionals. This will require providing alternative career pathways, accoinmnodatilg specialists and generalists, and facilitating cross(:redentialing with appropriate safeguards. Finally, there is a need to provide strong leadership for inc orporating information manageinet: anl technology in practice, education, and research. As t he new visionll for practice, education, and research is implemnetel, (:olferenlle participants recommIended specific value statements to guide(l ur actions. The value statements largely reaffirm tile Asso:iatioln's present broadly values: excellence, leadership, social responsibility, respect for diversity, collaboration, (:oltitlirg (:ompetenl y tIhough lifelong learning, critical thinking, heallth and wellness, (compassion, and entrepreneurship. The values nillst; e the basis of change and transformation. At its .July 1994 meeting, the Board of Directors made a comnliell:t t( imlove this new agenda forward. They did so with a desire to respect, [)ut i ot to repeat t;he past; to assume responsi-
the history of education and credentialing reminded us of our rich heritage. We were also made acutely aware of a need to define new directions for the profession. The following implications for all dietetics practitioners came out of the conference. * Members must be leaders in positiorunig the profession il ilew health care delivery systems. * A new learning paradigm is needed to replace the current teaching paradigm. New, creative approaches to learning must, be incorporated into our personal and professional lives o(r a daily basis. * Practitioners must develop advanced managerlellnt knowledge and skills to be successful in a health care syst.ern driven by the competing factors of cost and quality. This involves funldamenltal organizational change, careful selection of priorities, jdiciouls timing, and critical technical decisions. * We must assure the public of our competellce to provide a growing body of services based on new technologies atrid higher skill levels. For ADA, the profession, and each member to remlainl a leader in this challenging future, a number of things must happen. It is incumbent upon each of us to expand our leadership capabilities; achieving competitive advantage will require us to capitalize on our unique qualities. We must build partnerships among physicianis; corparudnies; goverrumlent agencies; ourselves (embers); and other key food, nutrition, foodservice, and allied health organizations. We must develop a more global perspective. We must also adapt rapidly to jotb and career challges. THE FUTURE IS NOW The future of our profession, with all of its chllallenges and opportunities, has arrived. The question is, are we ready to take advantage of our many opportunities and to meet noew challenges? If we stand still, our bright future will move further away from us, always just beyond our grasp. We cannot. -- and will n(ot. allow this to happen. Some may consider plannilig for the futrll'e an exercise in futility, but most agree that the profession must be at the forefront of future trends. Adopting a fatalistic viewpoint would be a dangerous proposition for tlids Association. Although nronle of us can say for certain what the world will look like in 10 or 20 years, our future viability requires us to draw the best; picture of that future right now. By taking immediate action on these key issues, your Board has put all exclamation point on its corrnaitlen t to secure the profession's place for decades o c(:ome in a rapidly changing environment. Just as the Board has adldressed Imany of the profession's challenges, so too must our netrbers -- wit h courage, corviction, passion, and the entrepreneurial spirit ofour early leaders. -- SARA C. PARKS, MBA, RD (md PATRICIA AM BABJAK MLS, director of credcYntialinrg(rnd steeeriol coremittce re rmbet; POL. YA. FITZ, MA, RD, chairoftlu Corrmission on L)ietet ic Reqistration and steering c orntitc crcohai ; JULIE O'SULLAN MAILLET Phl), RI), chair ol 'th Con /cil on Ed(catioo aldste(tlTj committee o/a iv, t.td I/EVERL Y E. AITCHELL, MIBA, RI), adtrniistrttorot/ e(/uc(tiotn atd steeti onrq corwnmitteve
enrberi
In addition to tre authors thors oJfthe the article,members (?J tlhe FattireSearch Co'lfere.ce Steeritig Committee e r histin V Biskeborn, MPH, RD; Margaret P. Ga-er; MS, RI); Jant C. King, PhD, RD. .Jasov Lewis, RD; Gltenda I). Price. PhD, a(tnd CaotSl Scott, MD.
bhility for th fturle; llnld to demonstrate to all members how together we cn arrive( at a new destillation.
IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS ]l)uring the
rltrlre Se;rc hI (Conference, two plenary sessions on
Editor's note. A sunmmarj7 of the papers presented at the Future S,earh Conference will be pnublishedlr ic (o Irothconig issue (f te Journal. JO()URNAI, ( F THE AMERICAN DIETETIC ASS )(CATI()N /1047
ADA REPORTS
President's Page: Future Search Conference helps define new directions inpractice, education, and credentialing n 10 years, members of our profession may look back at 1994 as a pivotal year for several reasons; most notably, perhaps, as the year health care reform helped reshape the profession. This year may also be remembered as the time when a broad cross-section ofleaders, inside and outside the profession, mapped out a visionary strategy for moving dietetics practice, education, and credentialing boldly into the 21st century. Finding answers to some of the most difficult questions confronting the profession and, in those answers, keys to unlock a bright future, was the primary purpose of this summer's Future Search Conference, "Challenging the Future of Dietetic Education and Credentialing: Dialogue, Discovery, and Directions." The American Dietetic Association (ADA), through its Council on Education, and the Commission on Dietetic Registration examined what the profession might look like 10 or 20 years from now. It was a challenging, exciting, and passionate endeavor to define new directions in practice roles and to determine the ongoing educational requirements and credentialing strategies needed to keep the profes-
Sara Parks
PatricioalBabjak
sion contemporary and at the same time preserve our rich heritage. The conference was attended by more than 125 participants who represented more than 25 different dietetics practice areas crossing the entire spectrum of dietetics - academia, government agencies, private practice, media, hospitals, industry, and allied professionals. Attendees shared their views on many issues related to the dietetics profession's future. Their conclusions? The knowledge dietetics professionals pro-
JulieMaillet
vide about the role of foods and nutrition in health will grow in importance. The dietetics professional's role as a "nutrition coach" will expand as consumers become equal partners in decisions related to their health. On the other hand, the information tools expected to be available by the year 2000 will make part of the profession's body of knowledge readily available to other health care practitioners and consumers. Thus, the key to a vital profession lies in expeditiously carving out new opportunities and capitalizing on newtechnologies to meet the changing needs of the public. Conference participants identified or reaffirmed a number of changes likely to affect the profession over the near term and well into the future. For instance, the health care industry restructuring that began almost a decade ago will continue long past the current round of reform. A growing emphasis will be placed on building healthier communities. An expanding knowledge base will require ongoing learning on the part of health professionals to prevent knowledge obsolescence. Lifelong learning will be the new paradigm for consumers and teaching individuals how to learn will be an essential strategy for education. Integrated and managed-care health systems will be larger than we have come to 1046 / SEPTEMBER 1994 VOLUME 94 NUMBER 9
expect and will be a major supplier of future jobs. Positioning dietetics practitioners in these new systems will require greater professional sophistication. In an increasingly diverse marketplace, new opportunities will also be available in food manufacturing and foodservice. "Relationship marketing," that is, building long-term relationships with consumers to improve eating patterns and to achieve other nutrition goals, will be essential to improve customer retention and to maintain long-term partnerships with all of our key target audiences. Finally, electronic data interchange will dominate the profession, replacing current paper-oriented practices. Add to this the impact of current trends toward multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary practice roles and an exciting and challenging picture of dietetics in the decade ahead. WHY A FUTURES CONFERENCE? The dietetics profession is at a crossroads. Changes outside the profession threaten to diminish the role of the dietetics practitioner - unless we take the initiative to adapt to and create new opportunities. For Polly Fitz some time, the Board of Directors has been aware of the compelling need to identify new practice roles and to develop new and ongoing educational requirements and credentials for these roles. Bringing leading professionals together through the Future Search Conference was a key step in charting a course into the next century. Although a new concept to ADA, futures conferences are increasingly used as a strategy for long-term planning. In
Beverly Mitchell
our case this included analyzing historical
and current trends both inside and outside the profession to identify how major social, economic, political, and technological events will change the direction of our profession. These trends, placed in the context of ourmission and vision and the status of the profession today, provide a powerful base for predicting the future. Additionally, there was a need to examine the science of our profession carefully to make certain our practitioners bring to the marketplace the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the mandate of our mission and vision. ADA held the Future Search Conference because leaders of the profession wanted to "forge ahead" and create an environment where members would be prepared for a productive future, one where they are fully valued within the new practice roles needed by the public. The following objectives were set by the conference steering committee: * Explore future practice roles for the profession; * Determine strategic directions for education and credentialing; * Examine the scientific underpinnings of our profession; and * Explore the role of technology in moving forward a new agenda for dietetics practice, education, and research.
TOWARD A NEW FUTURE: CONFERENCE OUTCOMES Three powerful outcomes emerged from the conference that, when set in place, will move the profession into the 21st century: (a) a new vision ws created for practice, education, and credeiltialing; (b) a sries of value statements to guide this new vision was identify ied; and (c) specific recommendations were set forth t filt:l re practice roles, for new educational requirements, for restrucl during existing credentialing of these new practice roles, and or developing a technology strategy for consumers, members, and ADI)A sl aff. The new vision lor practice, education, aid credentialing strongly supports AlIA's broader mission and our vision "to shape the food choices and impact te nutritional status of the public." Participants p)redi( ted tie following changes in how we meet that vision. * Dietetics practitioners will be leaders in affecting the optimal nutritional health ofthe publllic by shaping food choices through the use ofi lllovat ive "multitecnl ology," collaborative efforts wit h other disciplines, and diversity in practice. Leadership also implies vision, change, risk taking, and mentoring. Conference participants identified ald envisioned dozens of exciting new pract ice roles in private practice, comunity programs, training and elllucation, hospitality management, development of new food products, and home health care. In addition, new roles were envisioned in long-term and elder care, government and political agencies, schools, witness programs, andl wellness programs. * I)iet(etics educational programs will develop and sustain leaders in food and nutrition by continually linking knowledge to performiance t hrol gh a lifetime continiull of learning and research. To prepare for t hese Itew roles, liet;etics dedication must also change. New corpelItenies w ill be identified and new models must be developed o facilitate entry and reentry points to educational programs: existing programs will be restructured to facilitate umovemet from oll prac tice role to another. The old educational paradigms nmlust be questioned anti ew strategies developed. No single program (cain minet t;he needs of all of these roles. Recognit.iol tllat lenlters will change careers within the profession numerous tillles during their lifetime requires creation of lifelong learning models and opportunities. a Dietetics credentialing programs, through leadership and collaborat ion, will ensure, the continuing competence of providers of lool andi nutrition services by setting high standards, developing quality assessneillt proce(dlres, and supporting a socially responsible a(collltability inechanisin. To protect the health and safety of the public, a new credentialing system must be developed to recognize Ihe diverse roles of food and nutrition professionals. This will require providing alternative career pathways, accoinmnodatilg specialists and generalists, and facilitating cross(:redentialing with appropriate safeguards. Finally, there is a need to provide strong leadership for inc orporating information manageinet: anl technology in practice, education, and research. As t he new visionll for practice, education, and research is implemnetel, (:olferenlle participants recommIended specific value statements to guide(l ur actions. The value statements largely reaffirm tile Asso:iatioln's present broadly values: excellence, leadership, social responsibility, respect for diversity, collaboration, (:oltitlirg (:ompetenl y tIhough lifelong learning, critical thinking, heallth and wellness, (compassion, and entrepreneurship. The values nillst; e the basis of change and transformation. At its .July 1994 meeting, the Board of Directors made a comnliell:t t( imlove this new agenda forward. They did so with a desire to respect, [)ut i ot to repeat t;he past; to assume responsi-
the history of education and credentialing reminded us of our rich heritage. We were also made acutely aware of a need to define new directions for the profession. The following implications for all dietetics practitioners came out of the conference. * Members must be leaders in positiorunig the profession il ilew health care delivery systems. * A new learning paradigm is needed to replace the current teaching paradigm. New, creative approaches to learning must, be incorporated into our personal and professional lives o(r a daily basis. * Practitioners must develop advanced managerlellnt knowledge and skills to be successful in a health care syst.ern driven by the competing factors of cost and quality. This involves funldamenltal organizational change, careful selection of priorities, jdiciouls timing, and critical technical decisions. * We must assure the public of our competellce to provide a growing body of services based on new technologies atrid higher skill levels. For ADA, the profession, and each member to remlainl a leader in this challenging future, a number of things must happen. It is incumbent upon each of us to expand our leadership capabilities; achieving competitive advantage will require us to capitalize on our unique qualities. We must build partnerships among physicianis; corparudnies; goverrumlent agencies; ourselves (embers); and other key food, nutrition, foodservice, and allied health organizations. We must develop a more global perspective. We must also adapt rapidly to jotb and career challges. THE FUTURE IS NOW The future of our profession, with all of its chllallenges and opportunities, has arrived. The question is, are we ready to take advantage of our many opportunities and to meet noew challenges? If we stand still, our bright future will move further away from us, always just beyond our grasp. We cannot. -- and will n(ot. allow this to happen. Some may consider plannilig for the futrll'e an exercise in futility, but most agree that the profession must be at the forefront of future trends. Adopting a fatalistic viewpoint would be a dangerous proposition for tlids Association. Although nronle of us can say for certain what the world will look like in 10 or 20 years, our future viability requires us to draw the best; picture of that future right now. By taking immediate action on these key issues, your Board has put all exclamation point on its corrnaitlen t to secure the profession's place for decades o c(:ome in a rapidly changing environment. Just as the Board has adldressed Imany of the profession's challenges, so too must our netrbers -- wit h courage, corviction, passion, and the entrepreneurial spirit ofour early leaders. -- SARA C. PARKS, MBA, RD (md PATRICIA AM BABJAK MLS, director of credcYntialinrg(rnd steeeriol coremittce re rmbet; POL. YA. FITZ, MA, RD, chairoftlu Corrmission on L)ietet ic Reqistration and steering c orntitc crcohai ; JULIE O'SULLAN MAILLET Phl), RI), chair ol 'th Con /cil on Ed(catioo aldste(tlTj committee o/a iv, t.td I/EVERL Y E. AITCHELL, MIBA, RI), adtrniistrttorot/ e(/uc(tiotn atd steeti onrq corwnmitteve
enrberi
In addition to tre authors thors oJfthe the article,members (?J tlhe FattireSearch Co'lfere.ce Steeritig Committee e r histin V Biskeborn, MPH, RD; Margaret P. Ga-er; MS, RI); Jant C. King, PhD, RD. .Jasov Lewis, RD; Gltenda I). Price. PhD, a(tnd CaotSl Scott, MD.
bhility for th fturle; llnld to demonstrate to all members how together we cn arrive( at a new destillation.
IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS ]l)uring the
rltrlre Se;rc hI (Conference, two plenary sessions on
Editor's note. A sunmmarj7 of the papers presented at the Future S,earh Conference will be pnublishedlr ic (o Irothconig issue (f te Journal. JO()URNAI, ( F THE AMERICAN DIETETIC ASS )(CATI()N /1047