| This thesis focuses on a needs assessment for an on-line continuing professional education program for dietitians in Canada on celiac disease, the associated skin condition dermatitis herpetiformis, and the benefits of a gluten-free diet. The needs assessment addresses several factors: the increasing prevalence of celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis in Canada, the "fair" rating of quality of gluten-free diet instruction received from dietitians in Canada; and, the lack of improvement in the quality of dietary instruction over the past decade, as reported by patients with celiac disease. This is a concern since the gluten-free diet is the sole means of treatment for celiac disease. The study is in accord with Dietitians of Canada who are now offering continuing professional education courses on-line.;The findings indicate the content of the on-line program should be simple, practical, positive, and should identify credible gluten-free information sources and resources. The gluten-free diet information must be accurate, up-to-date, and accessible quickly. Case studies were recommended for practical application of this new information. The on-line program will require "seed" funding to develop it. The program should be marketed through several avenues, such as the Canadian Celiac Association, Dietitians of Canada, hospitals, universities, and dietetic internship programs. A Canadian network of expert celiac dietitians should update the on-line program periodically. Focus group participants agreed to form a networking group of dietitians across Canada, in order to share and create resources, with a strong commitment to improve gluten-free diet counselling in Canada.;This study provided a research basis for conducting an on-line continuing professional education program for Canadian dietitians to address their professional learning needs, plus identifying a strategy to improve the perceived quality of gluten free diet counselling by patients in Canada with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis.;The needs assessment was carried out by means of a cross-Canada audio teleconference focus group interview with expert celiac dietitian educators and practitioners. The focus group established the need for an on-line continuing professional education program for dietitians, dietetic interns, and dietetic students at Canadian universities as a way of improving the quality of gluten-free diet counselling in Canada. |
