Efficiency of a technology-assisted nutritional screening system: A retrospective analysis of 11,722 admissions in a tertiary hospital

Background and aim

Nutritional screening is essential for addressing malnutrition and its consequences. However, routine implementation in large hospitals faces several challenges. To overcome these obstacles, the Clinical Nutrition Service of a tertiary hospital developed a technology-assisted nutritional screening system. This study evaluates the system's efficiency in detecting and assessing patients at nutritional risk upon hospital admission. It also examines the association between nutritional risk, clinical outcomes, and sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods

This retrospective, analytical, observational study examined 11,722 hospital admissions of adult patients in 2019, each with a minimum hospital stay of 48 hours (h) in a tertiary hospital. Rates and timing for the detection, referral, and assessment of patients at nutritional risk were calculated. Participants were divided into low (Malnutrition Screening Tool [MST] < 2 points) and moderate/high (MST ≥2) nutritional risk groups to evaluate the relationship between nutritional risk and clinical and demographic variables.

Results

We found that 91% of patients underwent nutritional screening within the first hours of admission, with a median time of 9 h from admission to screening (interquartile range [IQR] 3–19). The prevalence of nutritional risk (MST ≥2) was 21%. All patients identified as being at nutritional risk were immediately referred for a nutritional assessment once identified, with a median referral time of 0 h (IQR 0-0). This assessment was carried out by a nutritionist for 98% of these patients, with a median time of 19 h from referral to assessment (IQR 6–24). Compared to the low-risk group, patients with nutritional risk were older, had higher rates of mortality and admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), longer hospital stays, and a higher proportion of men and cancer diagnoses (p< 0.001 for all comparisons). After adjusting for age and sex, nutritional risk was significantly associated with a higher probability of ICU admission (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.13; 95% CI 1.02–1.24) and in-hospital mortality (OR 2.32; 95% CI 1.97–2.73).

Conclusion

The integration of technology into nutritional screening was highly efficient for early detection and assessment of at-risk patients upon hospital admission. Features of this system could guide other hospitals. The association found between nutritional risk and clinical outcomes emphasizes the importance of prompt and appropriate nutritional interventions.