Harnessing AI and CGM Technology for Nutritional Health

A Preview of Dr. Jeffrey Alfonsi’s Grand Rounds Presentation

The Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners (The SMHP™) is pleased to announce a Grand Rounds Presentation by Dr. Jeffrey Alfonsi, to be held Saturday April 6, 2024, from noon to 2 pm Pacific Time. 

The presentation, titled The Development and Evaluation of AI Technology Combined with CGM to Estimate Diet and Monitor Diet Quality, promises an engaging exploration into the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI), continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology, and nutritional health. 

The primary areas of Dr. Alfonsi’s presentation include the following:

• Summarize the development and evaluation of AI technology to estimate diet quantification and quality.
• Review how this technology can help patients understand and monitor carbohydrate intake.
• Explore how this technology can support medical nutrition therapy for patients on reduced carbohydrate diets to ensure optimal nutrition.

The Grand Rounds Presentation is available exclusively to members of The SMHP™. To learn more and to join, visit the website. 

As an expert in the integration of technology with healthcare, Dr. Alfonsi’s insights have the potential to enhance our understanding and management of dietary health, especially for patients using therapeutic carbohydrate reduction (TCR).

With an impressive career that spans across practicing physician roles at Trillium Health Partners and Cleveland Clinic Canada.

 Dr. Alfonsi also contributes to the medical field as an Assistant Professor at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, and in the department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. 

His academic journey began in systems design engineering, laying a solid foundation for his innovative approach to medicine and healthcare.

Dr. Alfonsi’s commitment to medical innovation is evident through his tenure as the Director of Medical Affairs for Ontario Health (OTN), where he played a pivotal role in developing and expanding virtual care models across Ontario. 

His expertise in leveraging technology for health and wellness is further demonstrated in his co-founding and leadership role as Chief Technology Officer at RxFood. This health technology venture focuses on preventing and treating chronic diseases through advanced dietary management, utilizing image recognition and machine learning.

In his Grand Rounds presentation, Dr. Alfonsi plans to discuss his work that focuses on leveraging AI to enhance diet quantification and quality assessment. 

He will discuss the initial development of a tool designed to estimate carbohydrate intake through food images, aimed at aiding individuals with diabetes in managing their insulin dosage. 

This innovative approach led to a randomized control trial, which validated the technology’s efficacy in improving users’ ability to estimate carb content and subsequently, their glycemic control.

“The fact that people were getting feedback on their estimates and becoming more accurate in understanding high and low-carb meal items is really great,” Dr. Alfonsi said, during a recent conversation about his upcoming talk.

Dr. Alfonsi also touched upon the integration of AI with CGM technology, allowing for a nuanced understanding of the body’s response to different foods. He noted, “It’s a lot more powerful when patients can see what their glucose is doing, than just me telling them.” This reflects a shift towards empowering patients with real-time data to make informed dietary choices.

The conversation also shed light on the broader applicability of these technologies beyond diabetes management.  “We have a lot of people now understanding how food makes a difference and how going lower carb affects their glucose profiles,” said Dr. Alfonsi.

This presentation is a must-attend for any healthcare professional interested in the intersections of technology, diet, and health care delivery. 

Dr. Alfonsi’s unique blend of engineering and medical expertise, combined with his leadership in medical innovation, positions him as a forward-thinking voice in addressing some most pressing issues related to metabolic disease and obesity.

“Nutrition is a pretty powerful therapy.,” said Dr. Alfonsi. “ It can help with diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, inflammatory bowel disease, and even mental health conditions like depression.”

He pointed out that many individuals do not have an accurate understanding of what foods they are actually consuming, and what effects those foods are having on their bodies.

“It’s very easy to miss out on what’s in a product,” he said. “You always have to be on guard for a wide range of different things. And even some of the synthetic sugars that come in, you don’t even know sometimes you may have a response to them.”

We look forward to seeing you Saturday, April 6, 2024.

All contributions to the live Q&A and discussion are appreciated! 

If you can’t attend live, recordings will be available within a few days of presentation.

This is the 4th presentation of Module 5 of the SMHP’s ongoing series of Grand Rounds talks.

CME/CMHE credits are approved for these talks and are packaged 6 of them at a time for around 10-12 credits per module.

You can see the long and growing list of past presentations on the Grand Rounds page.

CME/CMHE credits can also be applied toward The SMHP’s MHP accreditation process and Continuing Education requirements.

To access :

• Use your SMHP Member login here.
• If you aren’t already logged in you may have to:
• Navigate to the Education Tab and then to the Grand Rounds page.
• The link to the zoom presentation for the Saturday is within the schedule!

Join The SMHP™ today

Not yet a member of The SMHP™? Special savings if you join before December 31, 2024, and there are special rates for non-practitioners and students. Learn more on The SMHP™ website.