Evidence suggests that 20 to 50 percent of patients are at risk or are malnourished at the time of hospital admission, resulting in a significant impact on patient outcomes, resource use, and costs. While clinical guidelines recommend screening, assessment and diagnosis, nutritional intervention, education/counseling, discharge planning and use of care plans for patients who are malnourished or at high risk of being malnourished, evidence suggests a gap remains in the delivery of care.

To explore approaches to measuring and improving the quality of care for patients with malnutrition, Avalere and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics co-hosted a Dialogue: ‘Measuring the Quality of Malnutrition Care in the Hospitalized Elderly Patient’ on November 12, 2013, in Washington, DC. The Dialogue included participation from public and private payers, providers, researchers, measure developers, and patient representatives. During the Dialogue, participants discussed the scope of the problem as well as approaches to improve care in this area. At the conclusion of the Dialogue, participants identified a set of specific measurement and improvement areas and prioritized three main areas for initial action.

These three areas included (1) execution of a nutrition care plan (2) defining malnutrition as a never event, and (3) the use of electronic health record template (Health Information Technology Infrastructure) to support nutrition care.

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For more information please see the pdf of the Dialogue proceedings below. Please direct any questions to Kristi Mitchell at kmitchell@avalere.com or 202-207-1308.