An evaluation of a community dietetics intervention on the management of malnutrition for healthcare professionals

Development, Validation and Acceptability of a Newly Developed Nutrition Resource Kit for At-Risk and Malnourished Elderly in Health Clinics Setting

Introduction: The elderly population is highly vulnerable to malnutrition, including those in the community. The use of nutrition education as part of nutrition intervention is able to improve their nutritional status. Hence, provision of a nutrition resource kit addressing the needs of at-risk and malnourished elderly would be advantageous. This research aimed to develop, validate and evaluate the acceptance of a newly developed nutrition resource kit, which served as an educational material among at-risk and malnourished elderly in Malaysian health clinics. Methods: This study was conducted in three phases: Phase I comprised of qualitative needs assessment to identify the types of nutrition resource kit needed; Phase II was the development and validation of the nutrition resource kit; while Phase III was acceptance evaluation, which involved individual in-depth interview and triangulation. Results: An A5-sized booklet with incorporation of an educational video in a QR code was developed. Both printed material and educational video had excellent content and face validity. Suggestions by experts and elderly from validation were considered and revision was done accordingly. Acceptance evaluation revealed four themes: 1) positive acceptance, 2) elderly-friendly, 3) valuable, and 4) individual preference. Triangulation data revealed that all elderly positively evaluated both resources. Additional suggestions given by elderly were considered for improvement. Conclusion: This newly developed nutrition resource kit, both in the printed and electronic format, was well-accepted among the at-risk and malnourished elderly. It could be used as an important reference for the elderly, especially those attending health clinics, in treating and preventing malnutrition.

Use of a mHealth Approach for the Training of Health-care Providers on Nutrition Counseling in a Malnutrition Clinic

BACKGROUND: The use of mobile phones as job aides is one of the most innovative mHealth applications for community health professionals. However, few studies indicated an influence of mHealth on clinical outcomes in low-income countries. AIM: Therefore, the researchers conducted the present study to assess the impact of providing updated training packages using mobile technology to service providers on the knowledge of children’s caregivers and the quality of performance of service providers. METHODS: A quasi-experimental pre-posttest of separate samples was conducted in a malnutrition clinic. The total sample size was 400 cases (200 caregivers as a pre-intervention group [pre-IG] and 200 caregivers as a post-intervention group [post-IG]), with inclusion criteria of having their children 6–24 months old. The study interventions composed of five activities: Orientation sessions on nutrition counseling for physicians and nurses, a software (e-health) program loaded in e-tablet to be used during nutrition counseling by physicians, a booklet on proper infant and child feeding, conducting on-the-job training for the nurses, and establishing counseling cycle in the clinic. RESULTS: After the study intervention, the total knowledge score for all items of children’s nutrition increased from 39% among pre-IG to be 80% among post-IG. The majority (more than 90%) of post-IG received four services packages. CONCLUSION: Participation of service providers in five articulating interventions for nutrition counseling contributes to improving the knowledge of children’s caregivers. Practice Implications: Using mobile technology improved the quality of nutrition care services delivered in the malnutrition clinic.

The challenges in managing the growth of indigenous children in Perak State, Malaysia: A qualitative study

Indigenous peoples in Peninsular Malaysia, known as Orang Asli, have been associated with the problem of malnutrition. Approximately 40% of their children are underweight. Indigenous peoples' distinct social, cultural, and economic traits, which differ from those of the dominant communities in which they live, may pose significant challenges for health care providers (HCPs) in addressing the malnutrition issue. This study explores challenges encountered by HCPs, with at least six months of experience in monitoring the growth parameters of Orang Asli children residing in Perak State in Peninsular Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2020 and June 2021, involving three focus group discussions and three in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used. A total of 19 participants (6 nurses, 5 nursing managers, 4 medical officers, 2 nutritionists, a family medicine specialist, and a paediatrician) took part in this study. The challenges were summarized into four themes: (I) accessibility to nutrition, (II) accessibility to healthcare services, (II) skills of HCPs, and (IV) challenges of implementing nutrition programs. The inability of the Orang Asli children to access nutritious food was due to poverty, different perceptions of life priorities, and the practice of food taboos among the communities. Inadequate infrastructure and transportation discourage parents from bringing their children to healthcare facilities. The belief in and preference for traditional healing, the practice of semi-nomadic lifestyles, and fear of HCPs and their timid nature were factors that prevented Orang Asli children from accessing healthcare services. HCPs need to equip themselves with cross-cultural communication and interaction skills and adapt their skills to environmental challenges to overcome unexpected encounters in mobile clinics. The non-exposed food items, the risk of food basket sharing with other family members, and community feeding programs' coordination were the challenges to be addressed when implementing nutrition programmes for Orang Asli children. The challenges of HCPs are multifactorial and require a multifaceted approach. There is a need for joint efforts of stakeholders, from communities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to the health authorities, to address the challenges of HCPs.

Advances in knowledge of screening practices and their use in clinical practice to prevent malnutrition

Malnutrition is common among older adults and is associated with a progressive decline in overall health and increased mortality. With a rapidly ageing population, the detection, prevention and management of malnutrition require urgent attention within health service planning and delivery. Routine screening for malnutrition among older adults in community settings, which addresses aetiological as well as phenotypic factors, is considered an important step for prevention and early intervention. The aim of this review is to summarise current malnutrition screening literature and highlight research that seeks to understand and address community-based approaches to malnutrition screening and management. Key healthcare professionals (HCPs) that encounter community-dwelling older adults include general practitioners (GPs), community-based nurses, community pharmacists and a range of other health and social care professionals including dietitians, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists. The key barriers to implementing screening in primary care include lack of knowledge about malnutrition among non-dietetic HCPs, lack of resources allocated to managing malnutrition, lack of access to dietetic services, and poor GP knowledge about oral nutritional supplement prescribing. In addition, older adults have poor insight into the clinical condition and the associated negative health implications. Investment in education among HCPs and public awareness is required, as well as accompanying resources to successfully implement malnutrition screening programmes for community-dwelling older adults.

Implementation of evidence-based nutritional management in primary health care settings: a systematic scoping review

Scientific evidence is used to inform clinical nutritional guidelines in order to prevent diseases and promote health. However, little is known about the process of implementing evidence-based clinical nutritional guidelines in health services. This scoping review aims to map the steps in the implementation of evidence-based nutritional management within primary health care, as well as the facilitators and barriers to implementation. Electronic databases and the grey literature were searched for original studies on the implementation of evidence-based dietary recommendations and/or nutritional counselling in primary health care settings conducted by health practitioners. Studies were selected by independent reviewers. Extracted data were analysed and grouped into thematic categories and are presented in a narrative synthesis. In all, 26 studies were included. A review of the studies demonstrated four steps in the process of implementing evidence-based nutritional management in primary care: (1) acknowledging health needs in the catchment area and determining the characteristics of services and health professionals; (2) developing continuing education aimed at practitioners; (3) integrating nutritional management into interprofessional practice; and (4) adapting the interventions using a patient-centred care approach. The predominant facilitators were providers' pre-intervention training and the provision of support materials. Barriers included time constraints, a lack of resources and an incompatibility of the interventions with living conditions and patients' health needs.

'It takes a village': a qualitative study on malnutrition and oral nutritional supplements with older adults in Ireland

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition affects approximately 20% of older adult populations in Europe, yet their views on the condition are rarely explored. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of older adults living with malnutrition and prescribed oral nutritional supplements in the community setting.

METHODS

Semi-structured individual interviews were used to collect data from 13 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥60 years with a current or previous prescription for oral nutritional supplements. Self-perceived health status was measured using the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L, a short questionnaire and visual analogue scale. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interview data were organized using NVivo 12 and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Median age was 80.0 (interquartile range 19.5) years, seven were male and six were female. Median health score was 60.0 (interquartile range 35.0) out of 100. Almost one-third reported severe or extreme problems with usual activities, and pain or discomfort. One main theme was identified from the interviews: 'It takes a village', with four subthemes (i) 'I get by with a little help from my friends', (ii) 'The obvious diagnosis', (iii) 'The missing T in MDT' and (iv) 'Confusion'. Participants with malnutrition reported relying on friends, family and carers with poor multidisciplinary team communication and lack of dietetic support.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants in this study experienced poor management of malnutrition with missing links between the hospital and community healthcare settings, and lack of dietetic services. Patient views should be used to inform public health guidelines and guide future interventions in the community to improve the health status of older adults with malnutrition.

Malnutrition: A Misunderstood Diagnosis by Primary Care Health Care Professionals and Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Ireland

BACKGROUND

Language and communication have an impact on how a clinical condition is treated and experienced, from both the health care professional (HCP) and patient perspective. Malnutrition is prevalent among community-dwelling older adults, yet perceptions of patient understanding of the term malnutrition to date remain underexplored.

OBJECTIVE

This qualitative study explored the use and perceptions of the term malnutrition among HCPs and older adults at risk of malnutrition.

DESIGN

Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with HCPs and older adults with a prescription for oral nutritional supplements (ONS) in the community, to explore perspectives.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

HCPs with experience of working with older adults were recruited in primary care centers, general practitioner practices, community health organizations, and community pharmacies in County Dublin, Ireland, between 2018 and 2019. Older adults, aged ≥60 years, with a current or previous prescription for ONS were recruited from daycare centers. One-to-one interviews were conducted with general practitioners (n = 16) and patients (n = 13), and focus groups were conducted with other HCPs, including dietitians (n = 22), nurses (n = 22), pharmacists (n = 9), physiotherapists (n = 12), occupational therapists (n = 6), and speech and language therapists (n = 4).

DATA ANALYSIS

Data from interviews and focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

There was mutual agreement between HCPs and patients on the main theme, "malnutrition is a term to be avoided." There were three subthemes with varying input from the different HCP groups and patients: "Malnutrition is a term a patient doesn't want to hear"-malnutrition has negative connotations that imply neglect and stigma; "malnutrition is a clinical term which patients don't understand"-with perceptions that it is better to substitute the term with simpler motivating messages; and "lack of confidence identifying malnutrition"-expressed by non-dietetics HCPs who believed they had insufficient expertise on malnutrition to communicate effectively with patients.

CONCLUSIONS

HCPs and patients perceived negative connotations with the term malnutrition, and HCPs used alternatives in practice. Additional consultation with HCPs and patients is recommended to explore appropriate language for conveying health risks associated with malnutrition. Future research should also address how current communication challenges can be addressed as part of strategic management programs or interventions to prevent and treat malnutrition.

Healthcare professionals' perceptions of malnutrition management and oral nutritional supplement prescribing in the community: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND & AIM

Protein-energy malnutrition is under-recognised in the community despite being common in older adults due to physiological and social changes which are often compounded by chronic disease. This qualitative study aimed to explore the opinions of healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in the primary care and community settings about the management of malnutrition and the prescription of oral nutritional supplements (ONS), often included in the treatment of malnutrition.

METHODS

Twelve healthcare professional (HCP) focus groups with 75 participants were conducted: community dietitians (n = 17), registered dietitians working in industry (n = 5), community and residential care nurses (n = 22), physiotherapists (n = 12), pharmacists (n = 9), occupational therapists (n = 6) and speech and language therapists (n = 4). Focus group discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were coded and analysed using thematic analysis and key themes with illustrative quotes extracted are presented.

RESULTS

Similar views on malnutrition management existed across professions. 'Gaps in Primary Care Management' was the first key theme wherein HCPs identified limitations in malnutrition management in the community. Barriers included limited or no dietetic services available in primary care and poor communication between general practitioners and wider primary care team members which resulted in inappropriate or delayed treatment. The second key theme, 'Challenges with ONS use in the Community', encapsulated several issues HCPs experienced with ONS usage including inappropriate prescribing and lack of monitoring of treatment goals. Conflicts of interest regarding dietitians working in industry assessing and treating older adults in residential care settings was highlighted by participants.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights that more emphasis is needed to identify patients when they are at risk of malnutrition to avoid advanced or severe malnutrition presentations currently seen. Community dietitians for older people are required to address many of the issues raised including the need for awareness, education and training, resources, and malnutrition care pathway structures.

Effectiveness of an educational intervention on vulvo-vaginal discharge for family healthcare workers: A nonrandomized controlled trial

Women's delay in seeking medical advice for abnormal vaginal discharge can cause serious effects such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and advanced cervical cancer. Family healthcare workers are in a unique position to help in the promotion of vaginal health. A nonrandomized controlled trial was conducted among a sample of family healthcare workers in the intervention (n = 37) and a control (n = 37) group to assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention, which was a 2-day intensive workshop combining reading materials. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 20), and the effectiveness of the intervention was determined using a mixed between-within subjects analysis of variance. The total knowledge and attitude scores were significantly greater for family healthcare workers in the intervention group immediately and at 3 and 6 months after the educational intervention, compared to the control group. A substantial main effect was observed concerning the time, showing an increase in family healthcare workers' knowledge and attitude scores across the four time periods. A statistically significant difference in the median overall health education competency score across the two groups was also observed. The mean score differences in all sub-competencies in health education were significantly higher among the intervention group, compared to the control group between second postintervention and the baseline. The educational intervention had revealed successful and sustainable improvements in family healthcare workers' knowledge, attitude on vaginal discharge, and health education competency. This can be implemented as an in-service program for family healthcare workers to improve health education practices.

'Prevent undernutrition and prescribe oral nutritional supplements correctly': an educational intervention for district nurses

Aim:

The aim of this study was to evaluate district nurses’ (DN) perceived nutritional care and actual level of knowledge about nutritional care before and after a continuing educational intervention.

Background:

Nutritional treatment is an important part of nursing care, and health professionals responsible for nutritional care for older adults must therefore have sufficient understanding of nutritional problems to provide appropriate support. Previous research has shown that nutritional problems frequently go unrecognized and that health care personnel often lacks knowledge about nutritional care and relevant methods of assessing nutritional status. However, little is known about DNs’ knowledge about nutritional care.

Methods:

An evaluative study with a study-specific questionnaire administered before and after a 2.5-day continuing educational course for DNs in primary health care in Stockholm County, Sweden. The course was given over a period of two to three months. The questionnaire measured DNs’ perceived nutritional care and actual level of knowledge about nutritional care.

Findings:

A total of 456 DNs completed the questionnaire both before and after the intervention. Participants’ mean age was 50 years. They had worked a mean of 26 years in health care and 10 years as DNs. Before the intervention, many DNs reported that they did not work with nutritional care in an optimal way. After the intervention, significant improvements were found in perceived nutritional care and actual level of knowledge about the topic. However, not all DNs achieved the learning objectives of the course, so work remains to be done to ensure that DNs have sufficient knowledge of nutritional care to provide appropriate support and correctly prescribe oral nutritional supplements.

Conclusions:

The study provides new information on DNs’ perceived nutritional care and actual level of knowledge. The result of the intervention helps lay the foundation for good nutritional care for older patients in primary care.

Lack of focus on nutrition and documentation in nursing homes, home care- and home nursing: the self-perceived views of the primary care workforce

Background

Malnutrition is a comprehensive challenge for the nursing home, home care- and home nursing sector. Nutritional care and the subsequent documentation are a common and multifaceted healthcare practice that requires that the healthcare professionals possess complex combinations of competencies in order to deliver high-quality care and treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate how a varied group of healthcare professionals’ perceive their own competencies within nutrition and documentation and how organizational structures influence their daily work and the quality of care provided.

Methods

Two focus groups consisting of 14 healthcare professionals were conducted. The transcribed focus group interviews was analyzed using the qualitative content analysis approach.

Results

Six categories were identified: 1) Lack of uniform and systematic communication affect nutritional care practices 2) Experience-based knowledge among the primary workforce influences daily clinical decisions, 3) Different attitudes towards nutritional care lead to differences in the quality of care 4) Differences in organizational culture affect quality of care, 5) Lack of clear nutritional care responsibilities affect how daily care is performed and 6) Lack of clinical leadership and priorities makes nutritional care invisible.

Conclusions

The six categories revealed two explanatory themes: 1) Absent inter- and intra-professional collaboration and communication obstructs optimal clinical decision-making and 2) quality deterioration due to poorly-established nutritional care structure. Overall, the two themes explain that from the healthcare professionals’ point of view, a visible organization that allocates resources as well as prioritizing and articulating the need for daily nutritional care and documentation is a prerequisite for high-quality care and treatment. Furthermore, optimal clinical decision making among the healthcare professionals are compromised by imprecise and unclear language and terminology in the patients’ healthcare records and also a lack of clinical guidelines and standards for collaboration between different healthcare professionals working in nursing homes, home care or home nursing.

The findings of this study are beneficial to support organizations within these settings with strategies focusing on increasing nutritional care and documentation competencies among the healthcare professionals. Furthermore, the results advocate for the daily involvement and support of leaders and managers in articulating and structuring the importance of nutritional care and treatment and the subsequent documentation.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-019-4450-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Models of nutrition-focused continuing education programs for nurses: a systematic review of the evidence

Nurses are well-positioned to provide basic nutrition education and reinforce nutrition messages to patients in hospital and primary care settings. Despite this, nurses may not receive adequate training to provide this service, and there is limited opportunity for nurses to engage in nutrition-focused continuing education (CE). The aim of this review was to determine whether nurse nutrition education results in improved knowledge and practices; and explore which models of CE for nutrition may be most acceptable and effective in practice. Web of Science and Scopus were searched for case-series studies published between 2000 and 2016 that investigated changes in nutrition knowledge of nurses and midwives. Only studies that could transcend to nurses providing patient nutrition education were included. Twelve articles met the eligibility criteria. Articles are explored in terms of mode of delivery, duration of intervention and educational strategies employed. Nutrition CE programs that are delivered face-to-face or by self-directed learning manuals, which utilise active learning strategies, are positively associated with improvements in nutrition knowledge. Web-based CE and self-directed learning may be favourable modes of delivery as they may assist in addressing resource and time contraints.

The effect of nutrition training for health care staff on learner and patient outcomes in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Nutrition training for health care staff has been prioritized internationally as a key means of tackling malnutrition; however, there is a lack of clear evidence to support its implementation. Systematic reviews in other fields of training for health care staff indicate that training strategies may have a beneficial impact on learner and patient outcomes.Objectives: We assessed whether nutrition training for health care staff caring for nutritionally vulnerable adults resulted in improved learner and patient outcomes and evaluated the effectiveness of different training strategies.Design: A systematic review of trials of nutrition training for health care staff was conducted. Six databases were searched with key terms relating to malnutrition and nutrition training. Studies were categorized according to cognitive (didactic teaching), behavioral (practical implementation of skills), and psychological (individualized or group feedback and reflection) training strategies. Where sufficient data were available, meta-analysis was performed according to study design and training strategy. All study designs were eligible. The risk of bias was evaluated in accordance with Cochrane guidance.Results: Twenty-four studies met the eligibility criteria: 1 randomized controlled trial, 4 nonrandomized controlled trials, 3 quasi-experimental trials, 13 longitudinal pre-post trials, 2 qualitative studies, and 1 cross-sectional survey. Results from a number of low-quality studies suggest that nutrition training for health care staff may have a beneficial effect on staff nutrition knowledge, practice, and attitude as well as patient nutritional intake. There were insufficient data to determine whether any particular training strategy was more effective than the others.Conclusions: In the absence of high-quality evidence, low-quality studies suggest that nutrition training for health care staff has some positive effects. However, further randomized controlled trials are required to confirm overall efficacy and to explore the impact of training strategies on learner and patient outcomes.

Realist synthesis of educational interventions to improve nutrition care competencies and delivery by doctors and other healthcare professionals

OBJECTIVE

To determine what, how, for whom, why, and in what circumstances educational interventions improve the delivery of nutrition care by doctors and other healthcare professionals work.

DESIGN

Realist synthesis following a published protocol and reported following Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) guidelines. A multidisciplinary team searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, EMBASE, PsyINFO, Sociological Abstracts, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Science Direct for published and unpublished (grey) literature. The team identified studies with varied designs; appraised their ability to answer the review question; identified relationships between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes (CMOs); and entered them into a spreadsheet configured for the purpose. The final synthesis identified commonalities across CMO configurations.

RESULTS

Over half of the 46 studies from which we extracted data originated from the USA. Interventions that improved the delivery of nutrition care improved skills and attitudes rather than just knowledge; provided opportunities for superiors to model nutrition care; removed barriers to nutrition care in health systems; provided participants with local, practically relevant tools and messages; and incorporated non-traditional, innovative teaching strategies. Operating in contexts where student and qualified healthcare professionals provided nutrition care in developed and developing countries, these interventions yielded health outcomes by triggering a range of mechanisms, which included feeling competent, feeling confident and comfortable, having greater self-efficacy, being less inhibited by barriers in healthcare systems and feeling that nutrition care was accepted and recognised.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show how important it is to move education for nutrition care beyond the simple acquisition of knowledge. They show how educational interventions embedded within systems of healthcare can improve patients' health by helping health students and professionals to appreciate the importance of delivering nutrition care and feel competent to deliver it.

The nursing contribution to nutritional care in cancer cachexia

Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome. Its defining feature is involuntary weight loss, which arises, in part, because of muscle atrophy and is accompanied by functional decline. International expert consensus recommends that nutritional support and counselling is a component of multimodal therapy for cancer cachexia, as poor nutritional intake can contribute to progression of the syndrome. The present paper focuses on what is presently known about the nursing contribution to nutritional care in cancer cachexia. There is potential for nurses to play an important role. However, obstacles to this include lack of a robust evidence base to support their nutritional care practices and unmet need for education about nutrition in cancer. The nursing role's boundaries and the outcomes of nurse-delivered nutritional care in cancer cachexia are both uncertain and should be investigated.

Nutritional support of the elderly cancer patient: the role of the nurse

Cancer in the geriatric population is a growing problem. Malnutrition is common in cancer. A number of factors increase the risk for malnutrition in older people with cancer, including chronic comorbid conditions and normal physiological changes of aging. Nurses have an important role in the nutritional support of older cancer patients. To contribute to the improvement of nutritional support of these patients, nurses need appropriate training to be able to identify risk for malnutrition and offer a range of interventions tailored to individual need. Factors to consider in tailoring interventions include disease status, cancer site, cancer treatment, comorbidity, physiological age, method of facilitating dietary change, and family support. This article identifies ways in which nurses can contribute to the nutritional support of older cancer patients and thus help mitigate the effects of malnutrition.

Feasibility of implementing routine nutritional screening for older adults in Australian general practices: a mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Nutrition screening in older adults is not routinely performed in Australian primary care settings. Low awareness of the extent of malnutrition in this patient group, lack of training and time constraints are major barriers that practice staff face. This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of including a validated nutrition screening tool and accompanying nutrition resource kit for use with older patients attending general practice. Secondary aims were to assess nutrition-related knowledge of staff and to identify the extent of malnutrition in this patient group.

METHODS

Nine general practitioners, two general practice registrars and 11 practice nurses from three participating general practices in a rural, regional and metropolitan area within a local health district of New South Wales, Australia were recruited by convenience sampling.

RESULTS

Four key themes were determined regarding the feasibility of performing MNA -SF: ease of use; incorporation into existing practice; benefit to patients' health; and patients' perception of MNA-SF. Two key themes related to the nutrition resource kit: applicability and improvement. These findings were supported by open ended questionnaire responses. Knowledge scores of staff significantly improved from baseline (52% to 66%; P < 0.05). Of the 143 patients that had been screened, 4.2% (n = 6) were classified as malnourished, 26.6% (n = 38) 'at risk' of malnutrition and 69.2% (n = 99) as well-nourished.

CONCLUSION

It is feasible to include the MNA-SF and a nutrition resource kit within routine general practice, but further refinement of patients' electronic clinical records in general practice software would streamline this process.

Nutritional screening: a community dietitian's perspective

Malnutrition in the UK is well documented and highlighted by the British Association of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, who advocate the use of a screening tool to facilitate the identification and subsequent management of undernutrition. Nurses are ideally placed to support this process, but their role has many conflicting priorities. For nurses working in the community, there also exists the problem of identifying those who are at risk of undernutrition but remain unknown to nursing services. This article provides a review of malnutrition and nutrition screening and aims to promote a pragmatic approach to the identification and management of undernutrition in the community. The article concludes with a brief review of current opportunities for improving nutritional care in the community.

Nutrition training improves health workers' nutrition knowledge and competence to manage child undernutrition: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Medical and nursing education lack adequate practical nutrition training to fit the clinical reality that health workers face in their practices. Such a deficit creates health workers with poor nutrition knowledge and child undernutrition management practices. In-service nutrition training can help to fill this gap. However, no systematic review has examined its collective effectiveness. We thus conducted this study to examine the effectiveness of in-service nutrition training on health workers' nutrition knowledge, counseling skills, and child undernutrition management practices.

METHODS

We conducted a literature search on nutrition interventions from PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, ISI Web of Knowledge, and World Health Organization regional databases. The outcome variables were nutrition knowledge, nutrition-counseling skills, and undernutrition management practices of health workers. Due to heterogeneity, we conducted only descriptive analyses.

RESULTS

Out of 3910 retrieved articles, 25 were selected as eligible for the final analysis. A total of 18 studies evaluated health workers' nutrition knowledge and showed improvement after training. A total of 12 studies with nutrition counseling as the outcome variable also showed improvement among the trained health workers. Sixteen studies evaluated health workers' child undernutrition management practices. In all such studies, child undernutrition management practices and competence of health workers improved after the nutrition training intervention.

CONCLUSION

In-service nutrition training improves quality of health workers by rendering them more knowledge and competence to manage nutrition-related conditions, especially child undernutrition. In-service nutrition training interventions can help to fill the gap created by the lack of adequate nutrition training in the existing medical and nursing education system. In this way, steps can be taken toward improving the overall nutritional status of the child population.

The importance of nutrition, diet and lifestyle advice for cancer survivors - the role of nursing staff and interprofessional workers

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To examine current guidelines and the evidence base to illustrate the importance of nutrition, diet and lifestyle advice to support people who have survived cancer and help them integrate back into normal life, improve their quality of life and potentially improve their chance of long-term survival.

BACKGROUND

Cancer survivors need to know about nutrition and other lifestyle behaviour changes to help them recover and potentially reduce the risk of the same cancer recurring or a new cancer developing. From this perspective, frontline registered nurses are in a prime position to support cancer survivors who are in their care.

DESIGN

Discursive paper.

METHODS

On the basis of the international research evidence and a critical analysis of recent policy and practice literature, themes emerged, which illustrate the importance of nutrition, diet and lifestyle advice for cancer survivors. This paper discusses the need for more focused education and greater interprofessional working for quality care delivery.

CONCLUSION

New professional guidance for emerging frontline nurses indicates they should be able to provide appropriate and more consistent advice on nutritional issues, physical activity and weight management, although more research is needed to understand the right mode of nutrition training. Additionally, interprofessional working needs improving as well as encouraging cancer survivors to respond.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

High-quality nutrition education and training is required for nurses working across both the acute and primary care sectors. They require this to effectively monitor and advise patients and to know when, where and from whom they can access more specialist help. Interprofessional collaborative working across multi-centre settings (National Health Service and non-National Health Service) is key to provide the best effective care and support for cancer survivors.

Sustained benefits of a community dietetics intervention designed to improve oral nutritional supplement prescribing practices

BACKGROUND

Healthcare professionals working in the community do not always prescribe oral nutritional supplements (ONS) according to best practice guidelines for the management of malnutrition. The present study aimed to determine the impact of a community dietetics intervention on ONS prescribing practices and expenditure 1 year later.

METHODS

The intervention involved general practitioners (GPs), practice nurses, nurses in local nursing homes and community nurses. It comprised an education programme together with the provision of a new community dietetics service. Changes in health care professionals' nutrition care practices were determined by examining community dietetics records. ONS prescribing volume and expenditure on ONS were assessed using data from the Primary Care Reimbursement Service of the Irish Health Service Executive.

RESULTS

Seven out of 10 principal GPs participated in the nutrition education programme. One year later, screening for malnutrition risk was better, dietary advice was provided more often, referral to the community dietetics service improved and ONS were prescribed for a greater proportion of patients at 'high risk' of malnutrition than before (88% versus 37%; P < 0.001). There was a trend towards fewer patients being prescribed ONS (18% reduction; P = 0.074) and there was no significant change in expenditure on ONS by participating GPs (3% reduction; P = 0.499), despite a 28% increase nationally by GPs on ONS.

CONCLUSIONS

The community dietetics intervention improved ONS prescribing practices by GPs and nurses, in accordance with best practice guidelines, without increasing expenditure on ONS during the year after intervention.