Malnutrition is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among the elderly. Approximately 20 percent to 50 percent of patients are either at risk or are malnourished at the time of hospital admission. Furthermore, patients who are malnourished while in the hospital have a greater risk of complications, readmissions, and length of stay, which is associated with up to a 300 percent increase in costs.

Given these challenges, between November 2013 and September 2014, Avalere and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (“the Academy”) convened an initial Dialogue event to gain consensus on the impact of malnutrition, assessed the environment of malnutrition quality improvement efforts, conducted a review of nutrition care best practices, and held key stakeholder conversations to explore approaches to advance malnutrition care in the U.S. These activities culminated in a second Dialogue event on September 16, 2014, “Launching the Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative,” during which Avalere and the Academy shared progress to date on malnutrition quality improvement activities with key stakeholders, officially introduced a quality initiative to improve patient outcomes, and obtained expert input on pathways for successful implementation. These activities will inform the new Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative, which will be piloted throughout 2015.

For more information, please direct any questions to Kristi Mitchell at KMitchell@avalere.com or 202-207-1308.

View the full Dialogue Proceedings report attached.