School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia.
Allied Health Research Collaborative, The Prince Charles Hospital, 627 Rode Road, Chermside, QLD 4032, Australia.
Nutrients. 2024 Aug 22;16(16):2796. doi: 10.3390/nu16162796.
Care transitions from hospital to home for older adults with malnutrition present a period of elevated risk; however, minimal data exist describing the existing practice. This study aimed to describe the transition of nutrition care processes provided to older adults in a public tertiary hospital in Australia. A retrospective chart audit conducted between July and October 2022 included older (≥65 years), malnourished adults discharged to independent living. Dietetic care practices (from inpatient to six-months post-discharge) were reported descriptively. Of 3466 consecutive admissions, 345 (10%) had a diagnosis of malnutrition documented by the dietitian and were included in the analysis. The median number of dietetic visits per admission was 2.0 (IQR 1.0-4.0). Nutrition-focused discharge plans were inconsistently developed and documented. Only 10% of patients had nutrition care recommendations documented in the electronic discharge summary. Post-discharge oral nutrition supplementation was offered to 46% and accepted by 34% of the patients, while only 23% attended a follow-up appointment with dietetics within six months of hospital discharge. Most patients who are seen by dietitians and diagnosed with malnutrition appear lost in transition from hospital to home. Ongoing work is required to explore determinants of post-discharge nutrition care in this vulnerable population.
老年人营养不良从医院到家庭的过渡期存在高风险；然而，目前几乎没有数据描述现有的实践情况。本研究旨在描述澳大利亚一家公立 tertiary 医院向老年患者提供营养护理流程的转变。2022 年 7 月至 10 月期间进行了回顾性图表审查，纳入了出院至独立生活的老年（≥65 岁）营养不良成年人。描述性报告了饮食护理实践（从住院到出院后 6 个月）。在连续 3466 例住院患者中，有 345 例（10%）经营养师诊断为营养不良，包括在分析中。每位住院患者的饮食就诊中位数为 2.0（IQR 1.0-4.0）。营养重点的出院计划制定和记录不一致。只有 10%的患者在电子出院总结中记录了营养护理建议。46%的患者接受了出院后口服营养补充，34%的患者接受了出院后口服营养补充，而只有 23%的患者在出院后 6 个月内与营养师进行了随访预约。大多数接受营养师检查和诊断为营养不良的患者在从医院到家庭的过渡期间似乎迷失了方向。需要开展进一步的工作来探索该脆弱人群出院后营养护理的决定因素。
