Provider Training

Greenlight was designed to make it easy for both parents and patients to navigate! Each core booklet follows the same format and has similar content areas:

• 3 core messages on the first page, with goal setting on the last page
• Information on how much, how often, and what type of food is best
• Lots of pictures and photographs of correct portion sizes, with sample menus
• A red / yellow / green motif is used throughout
• Not sure how to engage families in a discussion about the Greenlight messages? Use the 1 pager “cheat sheets” as a model!

You may find that you don’t have a lot of time to go over Greenlight messages as part of your well-child visit. Do the best you can. Here are some tips:

• Try to cover 2 of the 3 core topics, even if you simply read the two messages on the front page.
• Encourage the parent to look at the booklet at home, and share with others
• Even just handing the parent the booklet can make a difference!
• Even better — point out a few pages the parent can focus on!

Teachback takes practice, and at first, it may feel awkward. Try out different ways to incorporate teachback in your practice — it’s really all in the way you ask! Try these strategies:

• Put the onus of understanding on yourself, rather than the parent or patient.
  
  Example. “I’d like to make sure I did a good job explaining this to you. Can you tell me what you plan to do when you start giving solid food to James?”
• Try to make teachback feel “natural” by asking how they might explain an issue to another caregiver
  
  Example. “You mentioned that grandma is giving Jennifer juice to drink. The next time you see grandma, can you tell me what you would say to her about giving sugary drinks to Jennifer?”