Trust in Professional Integrity: DAA

Monday, March 3, 2014

The story of Dietitians for Professional Integrity

In 2012/13, a group popped up on Facebook and Twitter called Dietitians for professional integrity (DFPI). This is an American group of dietitians, who have opened themselves up internationally to document and discuss the real conflict of interest that exist between food corporations and nutrition/health advocacy organisations. At its core, DFPI is concerned about the credibility and sustainability of the profession of dietetics.

The formation of DFPI came on the back of the report “And now a word from our sponsors: are Americas nutrition professionals in the pocket of Big Food?” The report, released early in 2013, was specific to the relationship between food industry and the American dietitians’ professional association – the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). At the time of the public report, the AND was called the American Dietetics Association (ADA).

When I first heard about DFPI, it seemed a bit ridiculous there would need to be a separate group with its principle platform being “professional integrity”. I mean, who wouldn’t be for professional integrity? Did this mean those who didn’t support the group had less integrity?

As I have looked further into what professional integrity means and what it looks like, there is good reason for the concerns tabled by DFPI; there is certainly more than enough compelling evidence to support their call to action.

The premise for DFPIs call to action is the ANDs protracted dependence on corporate money; despite strong evidence the influence corporate money has on the ability to achieve “health for all”.

My conclusion of what DFPI stand for is this:

“Accepting corporate money means the AND is no longer in the business of health, they are in the business of making money.”

I do not think DFPI believe members of, and those who work within the AND have no integrity (see DFPI’s FAQ). The use of the term “professional integrity” by DFPI is to encourage the AND to re-think its collective “professional integrity” in the context of the evidence on the influence of corporate monies on [any] organisation/s.

DFPI know professional integrity is worth fighting for. If dietitians want to be taken seriously in the world, subscribing and truly acting to professional integrity is expected. Not just expected but, rightly, assumed of a profession and the professional organisation that represents them. As is current, the AND profess to a) represent every dietitian across America, and b) be the trusted “go to” independent advocacy organisation operating in a civil society, these requests by DFPI are not only reasonable, but a minimum standard. If a) and b) is no longer what the AND is about, then this should be stated and the structure and function changed accordingly. We must not ignore the real-life evidence documented from the experience of our medical colleagues.[1]^[2]
[3]

Meanwhile, in Australia, the formation of DFPI was exciting, real, and tangible. Brave too. Finally there was a simple and open dialogue that was inclusive and fast moving. Thanks social media! DFPI even caught the eye of the Australian My Health Career job search group ran a feature on DFPI opening with:

While My Health Career usually focuses on stories about health professions in Australia, we couldn’t help but raise awareness about a controversial issue that is causing a bit of a stir in the US at the moment. From what we hear, things similar to this happen to a much lesser extent in Australia. 04-05-2013

I note the soft comparison with Australia; the suggestion DFPI may not be needed here. Sure, there are differences between Australian dietitians and their own professional association. However, it is in fact because of these differences there is a strong case for an Australian arm of DFPI…..but that, my friends, is another story.

March is [unofficially] professional integrity month

Unofficial because it is possible the world is “awareness day/week/monthed” out. I do not imply awareness campaigns are not important; we know some have made an incredible impact on the way humans operate in the world. So why would I not want to brand something as important as professional integrity in the public domain? Because, ironically, professional integrity is about trust in our fellow humans’ desire to have professional integrity. Therefore, it would seem patronising to insist one subscribes to a month of “professional integrity” activities, when one must trust that we all act with integrity. It would be akin to announcing a month dedicated to reminding humans what it is to be human. Ok, when I put it that way it does seem the world may benefit – but calling it officially is saying “humans lack integrity and are unaware that they lack integrity” which I do not believe is definitively true.

A “professional integrity month” may come with collateral damage: any group or individual who didn’t participate, for example, do they have less integrity? Conversely, for the people who do participate, are they so lacking in professional integrity they participate to get some? And do those who participate automatically get to feel they have more integrity than others?

This is sounding a bit cryptic. The key point is professional integrity is in many ways subjective: a persons “integrity compass” is shaped by their experience in the world. One’s “integrity” is their truth, and their perception, analysis, interpretation and translation of that truth (based on their own life experiences).

The reason I am naming March “professional integrity month” is because I have been exploring what professional integrity means, and I want to share what I have found. And really, “professional integrity month” simply means I will post one of the four articles each Monday in March; I work better under pressure and with clear deadlines. However, the impetus for me to investigate, and write about professional integrity was the appearance of the American group “Dietitians for Professional Integrity (DFPI)”. And it is with DFPI this four-part series begins.

The first article is DFPI’s story; what DFPI mean by professional integrity in the context of being a health profession and the public perception of the profession. The second article deals directly with professional integrity. Wait. Lower your expectations here. My “deal with” is not a checklist of behaviours….professional integrity, for the reasons in the opening paragraph here, is rather challenging to put into words that mean something for our day to day activities. But I’ve given it a red hot go. The third article is my own disclosure of interest. Disclosure of interest and conflict of interest is presented as part of professional integrity in article two; you will see across articles two and three the inherent difficulties in being absolute with “professional integrity”. The fourth and final of the series compares and contrasts DFPI with Australian dietitians offered as a starting point to discuss the need for an Australian arm of DFPI.

Enjoy. @MDPStudy

Other blogs by me

Evidence-based confessions of a dietitian

Dietitians: as effective as the evidence from clinical trials

Evidence small health changes are good

[Other stuff]

Monday, March 3, 2014

The story of Dietitians for Professional Integrity

Friday, February 28, 2014

March is [unofficially] professional integrity month