Nutrition care plan at home keeps malnutrition patient out of the hospital: Study

Mumbai : Researchers have found that a good nutrition care plan at home can keep patients with risk of malnutrition out of the hospital.

“Our goal as a home healthcare provider is to help patients get back on their feet as quickly as possible and to keep them out of the hospital,” said study lead author Katie Riley from Advocate Aurora Health in the US.

A good nutrition care at home gives patient strength and prevents them from going to hospital on regular basis, resulting in reduced healthcare expenses.

For the study, published in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, more than 1,500 home health patients were followed for 90 days.

The research found that when patients at risk for malnutrition received a comprehensive nutrition care program to aid in their recovery, risk of being hospitalised was significantly reduced by 24% in the first 30 days, nearly 23% after 60 days and 18% after 90 days.

“Healthcare systems are driven to improve patient care while reducing costs. Our research shows that prioritising nutrition across different settings of care – from hospital to home – can significantly cut costs while improving patients’ health,” said study co-author Suela Sulo.