There’s often a cultural disconnect between a patient and their dietitian.
This app matches you with an RD based on culture.
Culture shapes our food choices.
Getty Images and Courtesy of Brand
But a dietitian might be unfamiliar with someone’s cultural practices and foods, causing a cultural disconnect.
For example, the dietitian might not know much about halal or kosher cooking.
And the patient might be uncomfortable talking about their cultural practices.
When Anderson-Haynes prepares to meet with a new patient, she reviews their medical history to understand their needs.
But this isn’t ideal.
Ideally, the dietitian would already be aware of these cultural factors.
And she’s learned that this resonates with many of her dietitian colleagues.
Its slogan: “Get the Dietitian That Gets You.”
People can match in any location, communicate through the app and then arrange services independently.
How Does Matching Help?
Lifestyle- and diet-related diseases, such ascardiovascular diseaseanddiabetes, are on the rise.
And according to a 2021 article published inNutrients, they are more prevalent among people of color.
“The health of the nation is declining.
For example, a 2020 study published inJAMA web link Openfound that patients preferred providers of the same race.
And people of color are underrepresented among dietitians.
So people of color who want to find a dietitian of the same background may face a challenge.
A Cultural Disconnect
Both of Culturd’s co-founders, Anderson-Haynes and Haynes, have Caribbean roots.
Haynes recalls a Jamaican family member who was working with a dietitian to lower his blood sugar.
The dietitian told him to watch his carbs, like pasta, potatoes and rice.
Sometimes, dietitians recommend foods that aren’t relevant or feasible for patients.
I don’t know why I’m even going.'”
Culturd aims to change that rhetoric.
“In different cultures, we eat different types of food.
And yes, you’re free to educate anyone on the foods that you eat.
Culturally relevant nutrition recommendationsare important.
Language is a common barrier, and Anderson-Haynes’s typical solution is an interpreter.
Even better than an interpreter, Anderson-Haynes realized, would be having a dietitian that speaks their language.
Supporting Diversity among Dietitian Entrepreneurs
Dietitians often work in hospitals and health care facilities, Haynes says.
“But a lot of students now are increasingly interested in private practiceentrepreneurial pursuits.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Anderson-Haynes says, “Telehealth has dramatically increased for a lot of dietitians.
Some of their practices are still 100% virtual.”
And in some instances, telehealth has been outperforming in-person care.
The Bottom Line
Culturd is designed to connect people of all backgrounds with cultural matches.
“The main benefit that I see is that this is going to change generations,” Carter says.
A dietitian who speaks your language, literally and figuratively, offers a certain level of comfort.
