From Consensus to Confident: Improving Nutrition Care for Hospitalized Adult Patients with Malnutrition

Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of malnutrition in hospitalized adult patients can result in longer length of stays, higher risk of readmission, greater mortality and higher hospital costs. For the last several years, the Academy/ASPEN Indicators for Malnutrition (AAIM) have been commonly used to diagnose malnutrition in hospitalized adult patients. However, these consensus-derived criteria need to be connected to patient health outcomes across hospital settings. Panelists representing clinical dietetics, inpatient nutrition administration, and the broader medical nutrition community discuss a cutting-edge project to connect malnutrition diagnoses based on the AAIM indicators with patient outcomes and ramifications of this work for best practices in care of adult patients with malnutrition.

CPE Level: Level 2 (intermediate knowledge/experience)
CPEU: 1.5

Performance Indicators

• 4.1.2 Interprets and integrates evidence-based research and literature in decision-making.
• 10.1.2 Conducts nutrition screening to identify client/patient risks and levels of criticality, and to direct services.
• 10.2.14 Analyzes and synthesizes assessment data and findings to establish nutrition diagnoses.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the relationship between the presence of the Academy/ASPEN indicators for malnutrition and adult patient medical outcomes.
• Identify the indicators for malnutrition that most accurately predicted nutrition and medical outcomes in adult patients.
• Integrate use of the diagnostic tool for malnutrition in hospitalized adults into your practice.

Moderator

• Alison L. Steiber, PhD, RDN

Speakers

• Kelly Tappenden, PhD, RD, FASPEN
• Jessamyn Almenas-Garcia, MS, RD, LDN
• Kirsten E. Godwin, RD, CNSC