Nutritional Assessment: The Key to Positive Outcomes and Financial Impact

Abstract

The practice of clinical nutrition has been the stepchild of modern medicine because of old methodology, as well as the failure to define it such that physicians can address it as a root cause of disease. The definition of malnutrition is vague and varies to the degree which requires nutrition intervention. The assessment method is also ill-defined and best practices are not thoroughly standardized. As a result, the prevalence of malnutrition is not widely determined and the adverse clinical consequences of the most modest levels of malnutrition are not taught. In addition, outcome studies demonstrating the clinical benefit and cost effectiveness of nutrition support have not been abundant enough to convince physicians and health practitioners of its importance.