High-quality nutritional interventions reduce costs.

Numerous clinical studies have documented improved clinical outcomes and cost savings when patients at risk for malnutrition receive high-quality nutritional care. A survey of 19 hospitals found that patients who received high-quality nutritional care averaged 12.2 days in the hospital. Patients who received medium nutritional care averaged 14.0 days in the hospital. Patients who received low-quality nutritional care were hospitalized an average of 14.4 days. The survey further revealed that only 7.5 percent of patients at risk for malnutrition actually received the type of nutritional care that was associated with the shortest average length of stay. If all patients in the at-risk population had received high-quality nutritional care, the estimated net savings potential would have been $1,064 per patient. Financial managers can determine the financial consequences of clinical nutritional policies and practices from information and analytical tools that are readily available.