Changes in nutritional routines at discharge in Scandinavia during a 10-year period: A follow-up survey

Anne Pohju; Anne Marie Beck; Kerstin Belqaid; Henrik Højgaard Rasmussen

doi:10.1016/j.clnesp.2018.08.012

Changes in nutritional routines at discharge in Scandinavia during a 10-year period: A follow-up survey

Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2018 Dec:28:148-152. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2018.08.012. Epub 2018 Sep 5.

Authors

Anne Pohju¹, Anne Marie Beck², Kerstin Belqaid³, Henrik Højgaard Rasmussen⁴

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Nutrition Unit, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: anne.pohju@hus.fi.
² Department of Nutrition and Health, Metropolitan University College, and Research Unit for Nutrition, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
³ Function Area Clinical Nutrition, Karolinska University Hospital, and Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁴ Center for Nutrition and Bowel Disease, Aalborg University Hospital, Clinical Institute, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.

PMID: 30390873
DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2018.08.012

Abstract

Background and aims: Time to treat malnutrition during hospital admission is limited due to short hospital stays. Therefore, nutritional care often needs to be continued after discharge from hospital. However, health care professionals' attitudes and discharge routines may not always support continuity of good nutritional practice. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in nutritional discharge routines and related attitudes in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) over a 10-year period.

Methods: A survey among doctors and nurses in Scandinavian hospitals was conducted in 2012/2014 and results were compared with an identical survey from 2004. Differences between countries were also studied.

Results: Response rate in 2012/2014 survey was 25% with 2733 questionnaires returned. There was a statistically significant difference between the countries regarding proportions of respondents reporting routinely measuring patients' weight at discharge (Denmark 14% vs. Norway 4% vs. Sweden 22%, p < 0.0005). However, these proportions had increased since the 2004 survey in all countries. In Denmark and Sweden, evaluation of nutritional status at discharge was more often stated to be a standard procedure in 2012/2014 compared to 2004 (10% vs. 18%, p < 0.0005; 8% vs. 15%, p < 0.0005, respectively). A statistically significant increase was found in the proportion of Danish and Swedish participants responding that the nutritional regimens initiated during hospital stay are always included in discharge summaries (35% vs 41%, p < 0.004; 51% vs. 63%, p < 0.0005, respectively).

Conclusions: The results suggest a positive development in the nutritional discharge routines. Nevertheless, there appears to be room for improvement. Differences in the nutritional practices still exist between the Scandinavian countries.

Keywords: Attitude; Clinical nutrition process; Good nutritional practice; Hospital discharge; Routine.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Attitude of Health Personnel*
Continuity of Patient Care*
Female
Humans
Male
Malnutrition / prevention & control*
Middle Aged
Nutritional Support / trends*
Patient Discharge*
Scandinavian and Nordic Countries
Surveys and Questionnaires