Learning Academy (OLD)
A trusted source of knowledge and education for healthcare professionals and patients using lifestyle change as medicine
The BSLM Learning Academy offers various self-paced, cpd-accredited, lifestyle medicine e-learning for physicians and other health professionals.
To access BSLM Learning Academy lifestyle medicine qualifications, cpd accredited courses and e-learning that you’re already enrolled in, click here.
BSLM offers members the opportunity to obtain certification from the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM). Click for further info.
BSLM offers an alternative MOC pathway, whereby BSLM LM Certification Diplomates have the opportunity for on-going maintenance instead of 10 year recertification. Click for more info.
What the BSLM Learning Academy can do for you
- Develop your career
- Offer more choices to your patients
- Sustain your own health
- Gain the tools to run effective person-centred consultations
Since BSLM was founded in 2016, lifestyle medicine education has been at the core of our work. To date, over 600 healthcare professionals have taken the BSLM/IBLM Lifestyle Medicine board certification exam enabling them to offer more options to their patients. The academy plans to be the UK’s leading provider of lifestyle medicine education.
There is currently a huge need and demand for lifestyle medicine education for clinicians of all backgrounds. Studies show:
- <8% of clinicians surveyed discuss stress or physical exercise with their patients [1]
- >50% of GPs surveyed didn’t know the UK recommended activity guidance [2]
- >90% of medical students and doctors agreed nutrition is important and they should play a key role [3] but when dietary counselling occurred, it was of poor quality [4]
- 36% of clinicians surveyed were not aware of any evidence-based lifestyle guidelines for cancer survivors [5]
Primary care nurses perform the majority of long-term disease reviews, health coaches and social prescribing link workers are playing a larger role in the NHS – all these roles have an urgent need for up-to-date knowledge of the 3 principles of lifestyle medicine; addressing socioeconomic determinants, behaviour change skills and the 6 pillars of lifestyle medicine.
High quality lifestyle medicine education is essential if we are to support patients to lead healthier lives, with more options than medications or surgery and more emphasis on what matters to them. It has the potential to protect the NHS and its workforce, reduce the impact of pandemics, turn the tide of long-term chronic conditions and address health inequalities.
You can find out more about the aims of the Learning Academy here.
- Arber S et al, Influence of patient characteristics on doctors’ questioning and lifestyle advice for coronary heart disease: a UK/US video experiment, British Journal of General Practice, (2004); 54, 506, 673-678.
- Wheeler, P.et al, Primary care knowledge and beliefs about physical activity and health: a survey of primary healthcare team members. British Journal of General Practice Open, (2017) 1 (2) .
- Macaninch E, Buckner L, Amin P, et al, Time for nutrition in medical education, BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health (2020), 3
- Phillips K et al, Counselling patients about behaviour change: the challenge of talking about diet. Br J Gen Pract. (2012), 62, e13–21.
- Williams K, et al. Health professionals’ provision of lifestyle advice in the oncology context in the United Kingdom. Eur J Cancer Care (2015), 24:522–30.
BSLM also works closely with partners to ensure our members have access to other courses, focused on the pillars of lifestyle medicine. You can find our partner courses here.
Learn how some of our Members are currently delivering Lifestyle Medicine
Working With the Learning Academy
Our Learning Academy Team continues to build as we grow, tapping in to experts across various fields to ensure comprehensive experience, knowledge and perspectives are shared with Learners through each course and qualification.