[Results of a survey on additional qualification in nutritional medicine - need for action recognisable]

Nutritional medicine is an important area of gastroenterology. It requires trained medical personnel who have qualified through additional training in nutritional medicine.In fall 2023, a survey was conducted among young gastroenterologists (JUGA) of the DGVS. Demographic data, the institutional and personal importance of nutritional medicine, and additional training were surveyed using Likert scales (rating scale 1 to 10), single-choice, and multiple-choice questions. The influence of gender, age, position, and institution was also examined.The personal importance of nutritional medicine among the 225 participants was 8 (7-10) on average, while its importance in the institution where they worked was 5 (3-7). This was rated significantly (p=0.012) higher in university hospitals than in non-university institutions. Obstacles cited include an unclear process for additional training, availability of case seminars and courses, and a lack of support at the management level.The importance of nutritional medicine at clinical institutions is lower than the personal interest in nutritional medicine and additional training, but this is currently associated with significant obstacles. Structural improvements and greater recognition are needed to keep additional training attractive and to meet the growing demand gap.